HAILEY, Idaho — Blaine County commissioners passed an emergency moratorium pausing data center permitting, giving the county 182 days to draft new rules as artificial intelligence drives growing demand for the facilities.
County Commissioner Lindsay Mollineaux said no influx of data center permit applications has hit Blaine County yet, but she is not going to wait around for it to happen.
"I remember reading about things growing up and thinking, oh, that's never going to happen in Idaho. That's not the world anymore," Mollineaux said.
Bannock and Kootenai counties already have moratoriums in place on data centers, and Mollineaux said she expects more counties to follow suit soon.
She pointed to what other states have already experienced as a signal for what could be ahead.
"Just like other states have seen potentially a big wave, we might be next, and so again, you want some time to get everything in order," Mollineaux said.
The commissioners agreed, adopting the emergency moratorium to pause permitting until the Planning and Zoning Department can draft an ordinance to address data centers.
Outside the courthouse, resident Alexis Limburg told me laws governing data centers should be in place before they are needed.
"Before anything can come in without people really agreeing to it, you know, they should have a chance today to put those laws in place," Limburg said.
Resident Heidi Bynum gave her public comment during the meeting.
"Just say nix, I just wish you could just say nix," Bynum said.
Mollineaux said other states have taken the lead in setting rules and guidelines for data centers, but in Idaho, it is up to each county — or even each municipality — to figure it out.
"And so it's put, I think, a huge burden on our counties and cities to really think about things. We never thought we would have to think about," Mollineaux said.
Mollineaux said the moratorium gives the county time to update its code and hold public conversations before anyone moves forward under old rules.
"While we have time to sort to get everything together and update the code and have those public conversations, there's not the opportunity for someone's going to come in under the old rules, which we've already decided you don't need to be tightened up," Mollineaux said.
She said the county's work on data center regulations is only just beginning.
"And so my anticipation is, this will be the start of the conversation, but not the end of it," Mollineaux said.
The county now has 182 days to draw up a plan to address data centers.
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