Santa Fe County becomes latest New Mexico community to adopt data center moratorium

The Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt an 18-month moratorium on data center development, taking effect immediately. Public input broadened the ordinance from an originally proposed 12 months to 18 months and lowered the regulatory threshold from 100 megawatts to one megawatt. Commissioners said the proactive pause gives staff time to develop regulations on water, energy, noise and more even though no data center proposals were currently pending.