Yankton County in South Dakota is the latest county in the tri-state area to place a pause on processing through details for the creation of possible data centers.
The Yankton County Commission last week unanimously placed a six-month moratorium on large projects for data centers and cryptocurrency. The commissioners agreed to the principle of that pause, and by the next meeting will vote on an ordinance regarding that.
Residents both urged the commissioners to keep gathering information on any future possible center, and also to be wary of having one in Yankton County, given the environmental impacts.
On July 1, the so-called South Dakota “data center bill of rights” went into effect. It requires data centers to pay for increases in utility rates they cause and also spells out local control on data center ordinances.
At least 16 Nebraska counties have or will have moratoriums. Many northwest Iowa have placed moratoriums of 12 months, including Woodbury, Plymouth and Sioux counties.
