Ada County Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium

WHEREAS hyperscale and tier 1-4 data centers impose extraordinary demands on Ada County's power grid, water supply, and agricultural land base; and WHEREAS the rapid proliferation of data center campuses in industrial, commercial, agricultural, and overlay zoning districts threatens to displace productive agricultural land, consume scarce water resources, and concentrate energy demand beyond what our infrastructure can sustainably support; and WHEREAS Idaho Code § 31-717 reserves to the people the right of direct legislation by initiative, requiring signatures equal to 20% of the qualified electors who voted in the last county general election to compel a binding vote; WE, the undersigned qualified electors of Ada County, Idaho, hereby petition the Board of County Commissioners to enact a temporary moratorium ordinance and demand the following: 1. A temporary moratorium of not less than twelve (12) months on the approval of new building permits, site plans, and conditional use permits for hyperscale and tier 1-4 data center facilities within all industrial (M-1, M-2), commercial (C-1, C-2, C-3), agricultural (A-1, A-2), and overlay zoning districts in unincorporated Ada County. 2. Prioritized protection of agricultural and public lands — no data center development shall be permitted on land zoned for agricultural use, within designated agricultural protection areas, or on public lands including parks, open space, and conservation easements, for the duration of the moratorium and thereafter until adequate impact studies are completed. 3. A comprehensive impact study, funded by the county, assessing cumulative effects on: (a) the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer and surface water rights, (b) Idaho Power grid capacity and rate impacts on residential customers, (c) agricultural land conversion rates, and (d) community character and housing affordability. 4. Updated zoning ordinances that explicitly define hyperscale and tier 1-4 data centers as conditional uses subject to public hearing, environmental review, and agricultural-impact findings before any permit issuance resumes. 5. A public vote on any data center development exceeding 100 megawatts of contracted power demand, consistent with the community's right to direct legislation under Idaho Code § 31-717. --- Methodology: This petition's signature goal of 56,000 reflects the statutory threshold under Idaho Code § 31-717 — 20% of the 271,128 ballots cast in Ada County in the November 2024 general election (54,226 legal minimum) — plus a 3% excess buffer (1,627 additional signatures) to account for signature invalidation during notary verification. Source: Idaho Legislature (§ 31-717) and VoteIdaho 2024 General Election results.