Independence council member proposes six-month moratorium on new data centers and battery farms after intense public comment

Council Member Bryce Stewart proposed a six‑month (180‑day) moratorium on any future data centers and a similar pause for battery energy storage systems during a June study session in Independence, saying the pause would give staff time to examine zoning, special‑use permitting and whether facilities should be treated differently by scale. Stewart said the moratorium would not affect the existing Nebius project but would apply to future proposals.

The proposal drew extensive public comment. Daniel Morehead, a leader of the Independence Guard Alliance, urged the council to “draw a hard line between the small data centers of the past and the heavy industrial AI factories of today,” saying current city code “makes no distinction between a data center the size of a closet and a massive hyperscale AI factory.” Kelly Garrett, speaking as a resident and Guard Alliance member, cited the city charter while faulting past economic development incentives; she said prior votes approved a 98% tax abatement tied to a hyperscale project and asserted that the abatement could result in roughly $274 million in lost revenue to the local school district over 20 years.

Other residents offered a mix of technical and community concerns. Jason White of Indie Energy asked the council to treat battery farms separately from data centers, noting a nearby Blue Valley Grid battery project he described as about 100 megawatts and a roughly $200 million private investment that went on the tax rolls without incentives. Stephanie Robinson urged an independent review of grid capacity, water use, cooling and noise impacts and pointed to a growing number of jurisdictions that have imposed temporary pauses or stronger zoning for such projects. Monica Brazakis (Patmos, formerly with AWS) recommended that the city include job‑ and design‑related requirements when carving out zoning and regulations.

The council first voted to suspend rules and allow non‑residents to speak; the motion carried on a roll call with all present members voting yes. City staff told the council the moratorium item would return as a resolution for the council’s July agenda (staff later confirmed the item will appear on the July 20 agenda).

Why it matters: Council members face competing policy aims — protecting neighborhoods, ensuring adequate utility and safety review, and preserving opportunities for economic development — while facing technical constraints on electric capacity and the timing of regional generation contracts. Residents pressed for a formal pause to allow clear, uniform regulations rather than case‑by‑case approvals.

The next step: City staff will draft the moratorium resolution and zoning review recommendations for council consideration in July. If passed, the moratorium would temporarily halt approvals for new data center and battery storage projects while the city proposes zoning or permit changes.