City council adopted an interim ordinance pausing new data‑center approvals and expansions for up to one year while staff studies water, power, noise, cooling, and siting impacts. The move follows extensive public comment raising concerns about water use, megawatt growth, and data privacy.

The Board approved a one-year moratorium on development approvals for data centers in Paonia to allow time for staff and the planning commission to craft regulations addressing water and land-use impacts; trustees also discussed coordinating with Delta County.

Residents told the county board that data centers could risk local water and urged a 12–18 month moratorium. UW–Madison specialist Carl Green presented technical background on data‑center types, energy and water use, and local regulatory tools including zoning and conditional uses.

Multiple residents and experts asked Whitfield County commissioners for a moratorium on new data-center approvals until water, wastewater, noise, ecological and grid impacts are studied. The chair said Georgia law limits moratorium length and that most active data centers are in municipal (Dalton) jurisdiction.

Hundreds of residents told the council to impose a moratorium on large GPU-powered "AI" data centers, citing water consumption, noise and uncertain health and environmental impacts; speakers asked the city manager to start a moratorium process before further approvals.

Multiple residents urged the Ridgecrest City Council to demand full water-impact, CEQA and cumulative analyses for proposed AI data centers; the Groundwater Authority reported approved mitigation funding and said it will continue study of the proposal.