Gage County holds public hearing about possible moratorium on data centers

BEATRICE, Neb. (KLKN) — The Gage County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing regarding the potential for a data center being built in rural Gage County on Wednesday evening.

The meeting follows a gathering on Aug. 5, where the board originally approved an eight-month moratorium, allowing the county and others to learn more about data centers and what it means for the local economy.

A proposed 18-month moratorium is now in place, and many members of the community are fighting to keep the data center out of Gage County.

“Please make a decision where our county can start to regain your trust again and pass the 18-month moratorium on both data centers and any associated power generation facilities,” a member of the public said.

Dozens of members of the public spoke on Wednesday, backing up their claims with questions regarding the immense amount of energy and millions of gallons of water it takes to fuel a data center.

Others spoke on if their property taxes would fluctuate and how safe it is to even live within a certain radius to it.

“I don’t believe that three miles is even close to enough away for that. When you look at the harmful effects that could have with the most at-risk population, especially within the daycare, with which it would be young kids, and then you have a nursing home with older people with COPD, asthma and all those different concerns,” another member of the public said at Wednesday’s hearing.

An overwhelming amount of the public attendants were in favor of the proposed 18-month moratorium, but some even exclaiming that it doesn’t matter what they think because the board will do what they want anyways.

The board says that it will need time to digest the publics opinion, alluding to a possible decision within the next two weeks.