(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County officials are working to get ahead of potential data center development before any projects arrive.
County leaders are moving toward a temporary moratorium that would give them time to study data centers and develop local regulations.
The LaGrange County Plan Commission has recommended a moratorium of up to one year on new data center development. County commissioners have approved moving forward with the process.
County Attorney Kurt Bachman said the goal is not to prohibit data centers, but to make sure the county is prepared to manage them appropriately.
"The effort isn't to keep them out, the effort is to properly manage them," Bachman said.
The county is also addressing battery energy storage systems, sometimes referred to as power banks. The Plan Commission previously recommended a halt to those projects, and commissioners approved that moratorium last week.
County officials say planners and administrators need time to study the issue before adopting regulations covering data centers and related infrastructure.
Documentation for the proposed data center moratorium is expected to be presented to county commissioners at their July 20 meeting.