Cocke County enacts one-year moratorium on data centers and battery storage

The Cocke County Commission voted June 15 to adopt a one-year moratorium on data center facilities, including large lithium-ion battery storage sites, to give county planning staff and the commission time to study zoning, energy and water impacts.

County Attorney Williams, who presented the draft resolution, said the definition before the commission covers facilities that "capture, process, store or transmit digital information and/or excess electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries," and includes data processing, data mining, cryptocurrency mining and battery energy storage systems. He advised the commission to study the broader definition rather than limiting the moratorium to battery sites alone.

Supporters said the facilities use substantial electricity and water and can produce continuous noise. Williams noted foreign and national trends and suggested regulatory tools to limit a facility’s energy or water draw or require alternative power arrangements; he referenced the "bring your own power" approach used in other jurisdictions as a model.

Public safety arguments also shaped the debate. Commissioners and emergency responders emphasized that large battery-storage facilities pose special fire risks and demand bespoke response protocols. A public-safety representative described a recent local fire linked to scrap-handling operations and stressed that lithium-ion fires require specialized handling.

The commission amended the agenda to include the broader data-center moratorium and approved the resolution; the clerk conducted a roll call and the presiding officer announced the motion carried. The moratorium runs through June 30, 2027, and county staff and the planning commission will study ordinance amendments and zoning approaches during the pause.

The moratorium is procedural: counsel told commissioners a moratorium may not block projects that have already obtained permits, but gives the county time to set ordinance standards to address energy consumption, water use, noise and site design before new projects are permitted.

Next steps include planning commission study and drafting proposed ordinance language for future commission consideration. The commission did not adopt site-specific restrictions during the June 15 session.