Carlton County officials unanimously passed a temporary, one-year countywide freeze on new data center developments after a public hearing that drew strong community feedback.
The vote followed growing concerns from residents and community members about how large-scale digital infrastructure could affect local resources and the county’s rural character, including worries about noise, water use, and power demand.
The interim ordinance immediately pauses the creation, construction, and expansion of data centers in Carlton County. It applies to facilities used for servers, computers, digital storage, cryptocurrency mining, and artificial intelligence operations.
During the moratorium, county staff, the Planning Commission, and the County Board cannot accept, process, or approve related permits, variances, subdivisions, or rezoning requests.
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