Boise Mayor Seeks Six-Month Pause on Large Data Centers
The proposal aims to study water, power, and job impacts before any giant project breaks ground, with a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
Mayor Lauren McLean is proposing a six-month moratorium on the development of large data centers in Boise. The city council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to decide whether to approve the pause. McLean stated that no mega data centers are currently proposed within city limits. She wants to ensure the city has adequate rules before such a project arrives.
The push for a pause comes as large-scale projects emerge elsewhere in Idaho. A developer south of Boise has proposed a project on nearly 3,700 acres of federal public land. That proposal includes a 4 million-square-foot data center. Meta already operates a data center in Kuna. City leaders in Pocatello recently rejected another large-scale proposal. McLean said these recent events raised questions about Boise's current protections.
McLean described the move as a preemptive step. She said she does not want residents to wonder why the city did not act sooner. The proposal would temporarily prohibit new data centers larger than 100,000 square feet. It would also ban facilities that require more than 20 megawatts of power. The city has no pending applications that meet those thresholds right now.
The mayor wants to answer specific questions about resource use. She cited water impact, power needs, and noise as key concerns. She also noted the importance of understanding job creation. McLean wants to know if the jobs exist long-term or if they are temporary. She believes the city must determine if the economic benefits justify the demand on local infrastructure.
The proposal has sparked questions about other major industrial projects in Boise. The city currently supports Micron Technology's multi-billion-dollar semiconductor expansion. Semiconductor manufacturing also requires significant electricity and water. McLean distinguished the two types of projects in an interview with Idaho News 6 on Monday.
McLean emphasized that Micron is investing in the community and creating high-paying jobs. She said the company is not a data center. She noted that Micron is creating opportunities for local residents to stay in Boise for work. The city intends to examine whether data centers provide similar lasting economic benefits.
McLean plans to use the six-month period to study existing regulatory tools. She wants to identify potential gaps in the current system. The pause would also allow for a conversation with residents. She said she wants to hear from the community on what they expect from large industrial developments. The city aims to determine what long-term regulations may be necessary before acting on any future proposals.
