ROWAN COUNTY, KY (LEX News) — Rowan County officials say no company has approached the county about building a data center, but they're taking steps now in case one does.
The Rowan County Fiscal Court recently approved a two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers, giving county leaders time to consider how future projects could be reviewed before moving forward.
"First and foremost, we have not been approached by anyone for a data center," Rowan County Judge-Executive Harry Clark said.
While no proposal is currently on the table, local officials and business leaders believe it may only be a matter of time before data center developers begin looking at communities like Rowan County.
"But it is going to be a matter of time at some point," said Jason Slone, president and CEO of the Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. "All communities are seeing some sort of attention to some degree."
Data centers are large facilities used to store and process digital information. They support services such as cloud computing, internet applications and artificial intelligence systems.
According to county officials, the moratorium is designed to give Rowan County time to explore options that could provide more oversight of future large-scale developments.
Because Rowan County does not currently have zoning regulations, Clark said the county has limited ability to review a potential data center project before construction begins.
"If you have enough money and we have no zoning, you could potentially buy something, a piece of property and then start a data center," Clark said. "As long as you have the infrastructure with it, without even the county knowing anything about it."
During the moratorium, county officials plan to consider options such as a conditional use permit process that could allow local leaders to review future proposals.
Clark said the county is not trying to prohibit data centers from locating in Rowan County.
"It's a necessary evil without a doubt," Clark said. "It's one of those things that, yeah, we've got to have it, but I don't want it in my backyard."
Slone says data centers can also provide significant economic benefits through tax revenue.
"So the taxation ability of a lot of those facilities, again depending on the size, can equate in significant financial renderings for local government, city, county schools," Slone said. "Some of those can be in the single-digit millions to as much as double-digit millions annually."
Clark said any future discussion about bringing a data center to Rowan County should include input from the public.
"What we really need to focus on is what do the citizens really want," Clark said.
The two-year moratorium will allow county officials to study potential regulations and gather feedback before deciding how Rowan County should handle future data center proposals.
Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber@wlex.tv
