Plain English Breakdown
The official source material does not specify how the site assessments will be used by local governments to make decisions about fitting with plans or following noise and zoning rules, beyond assessing consistency with policies and compliance with laws.
Data Center Site Assessment Law
This law requires that before a new high energy use facility (HEUF) like a data center can get approval for rezoning, special exceptions, or permits, the applicant must do a site assessment to check sound levels and other environmental impacts.
What This Bill Does
- Requires localities to ask applicants to perform a site assessment on proposed high energy use facilities before approving any rezoning applications, special exceptions, or special use permits.
- The site assessment must look at the sound profile of the facility on nearby homes and schools within 500 feet.
- Localities can also require assessments for water resources, agriculture, parks, historic sites, and forestland near the proposed facility.
- Electric utilities providing power to the new HEUF must submit information about substations and transmission voltage requirements.
Who It Names or Affects
- Localities that approve rezoning applications, special exceptions, or permits for high energy use facilities.
- Applicants seeking to build new data centers or other high energy use facilities.
- Electric utilities providing power to the proposed facility.
Terms To Know
- High Energy Use Facility (HEUF)
- A facility that needs at least 100 megawatts of electrical power from an electric utility.
- Site Assessment
- An evaluation done to check the sound profile and other environmental impacts of a proposed high energy use facility.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law does not apply if there is already approval for an expansion or modification that doesn't add more than 100 megawatts of power.
- This bill incorporates HB 511 and is identical to SB 94, which means it includes provisions from other bills.