Commissioners Approve Short-Term Data Center Moratorium
Commissioners approved a data center moratorium applying to centers on county land effective until December 31, 2026. The moratorium could be extended pending completion of the City of Greensburg and Decatur County comprehensive plan.
Decatur County commissioners approved a data center moratorium, Ordinance 2026-15, effective September 21, 2026 until December 31, 2026 at their September 21 meeting. Present at the meeting were commissioners Gabe Nobbe and Brian Wenning. Commissioner Jeremy Pasel was absent. The moratorium only applies to data centers on county land, not on city land or land that has been annexed onto the city.
Commissioners explained that the moratorium was drafted to prevent hyperscale data centers – defined as data centers at or above 250 megawatts – from building until the comprehensive plan is complete. If the comprehensive plan’s time frame is extended, the data center moratorium could also potentially be extended until the plan is completed. Currently, any facility above 70 megawatts must provide its own energy generation and, commissioners, noted, there’s currently an alternative energy moratorium active at the county level which limits what types of generation a facility can use.
Decatur County’s Board of Zoning Appeals, commissioners emphasized, is not affiliated with the City of Greensburg or city government. This means that once land is annexed onto the City of Greensburg, the county no longer has any control over that land.
Commissioner Brian Wenning read Ordinance 2026-15 in full. The full text as read can be viewed below.
The data center moratorium, Ordinance 2026-15, was motioned and approved as presented.
A request for use of facilities by Decatur County Right to Life to use the courthouse lawn for their cross display between October 3 and October 10 was approved.
The next Decatur County Commissioners’ meeting will be Monday, October 5 at 6 PM at the Decatur County Courthouse.
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