The City of Henderson will not impose an 180-day moratorium on data center construction. Instead, future data centers will be required to secure individually negotiated development agreements with the City.
Mayor Michelle Romero had originally proposed the moratorium in June. Council instead approved the development agreement regulation in its July 21 meeting.
Romero said the development agreement requirement will allow Henderson to modify the code and implement terms and requirements as technology advances.
City Attorney Nicholas Vaskov said moratoria are largely temporary, with a general lifespan of 12-18 months before permanent code changes become necessary. He added there are currently no pending data center applications before Council.
A representative of the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter said the activist group was disappointed with Council’s action as it is less than the pause the group wants to see. The group believes a moratorium would allow Henderson to develop a comprehensive set of regulations before any projects advance.
Editor’s Note: NVBEX and its sister publication, AZBEX, have extensively covered the recent increase in data center restrictions. To view our previous Nevada-centric coverage, click here. Arizona has moved more quickly to apply restrictions. To view our previous Arizona-centric coverage to see what may come, click here.
Henderson’s actions started with a staff report last month that said further analysis and more standards are needed to properly examine the sector’s issues with items such as land use, utility demand and possible environmental impacts. Some speakers at the June meeting went so far as to suggest a one-year moratorium or a total ban on data centers. (Source: The Nevada Independent)
