{"resourceId":"mountain-home-id-emergency-data-center-moratorium-20261028","versions":[{"version":"external-0add33f522fcb0024d3c0f4ac60677e35789541cab6d734025c2b2b25852e66c","resource":{"id":"mountain-home-id-emergency-data-center-moratorium-20261028","title":"Mountain Home, Idaho passes an emergency moratorium on data center applications while it writes zoning rules, capped at 182 days by state law","organization":"City of Mountain Home, Idaho","sector":"Local land use and AI data center siting","geography":"Mountain Home, Idaho, United States","publishedAt":"28 October 2026 (KMVT, metadata 15:46 UTC)","publicationDate":"2026-10-28","eventDate":null,"sourceName":"KMVT","sourceLabel":"Local TV news report","sourceUrl":"https://www.kmvt.com/2026/10/28/mountain-home-city-council-passes-emergency-moratorium-data-center-projects-after-packed-public-meeting/","evidenceClass":"independent-reporting","outcomeClass":"cautionary","topics":["infrastructure","governance-procurement"],"finding":"Mountain Home's council passed an emergency moratorium on data center applications and permits after residents packed city hall over plans for about 3.4 million square feet of buildings that had not yet been formally applied for. The city says it has been defining data centers in its zoning code since July. Idaho law caps the pause at 182 days, and some residents want an outright ban on large AI data centers.","sledRelevance":"Why now: reported 28 October. Shows a small city using an emergency pause before any formal application, with a state-law cap that sets a hard deadline for writing rules.","evidence":"Local TV report with city statements and resident quotes.","architectureImplications":"Indirect: local pauses on large data centers can affect where AI compute capacity is built, but do not affect local governments' own AI use directly.","governanceImplications":"Emergency moratorium under state law, capped at 182 days; city drafting definitions and categories in its zoning code.","securityPrivacyImplications":"Not relevant to this land-use decision.","caveats":"Indirect relevance to local government AI use. Vote count, meeting date and moratorium text not reported. Resident views are not representative evidence.","streamIds":["local-government"],"roles":{"sales":"Framing: Mountain Home paused data center applications before one was even filed, and state law gives it at most 182 days to write rules. Interpretation: small cities facing AI data center proposals may need fast help defining data centers and drafting standards. This is land-use advice, not AI deployment. The evidence does not show whether the city will regulate or ban data centers, and it does not support claims about project impacts.","engineering":"Framing: the city's zoning code does not yet define data centers. Interpretation: technical input on power demand, cooling, water use and noise by facility size would help planners set thresholds. The report gives no technical figures for the proposed campus beyond about 3.4 million square feet, so any impact estimates would need other sources and should be presented as ranges with stated assumptions.","delivery":"Framing: a 182-day cap sets a firm deadline. Interpretation: the city needs a schedule that leaves time for drafting, public hearings and legal review before the pause ends, and a clear definition of what counts as a data center. Proposed measures include a draft ordinance published well before expiry and documented responses to resident comments, since residents are already pressing for a ban."},"roleDetails":{"sales":{"customerProblem":"A small city must write data center zoning rules quickly under resident pressure and a state-law deadline.","stakeholders":["Mayor","City council","Planning and zoning staff","City attorney","Residents","Utility providers"],"discoveryQuestions":["How will the city define a data center?","What standards are being considered?","How will the 182-day deadline be managed?","What utility data is available?"],"valueHypothesis":"Bounded: drafting support may help the city adopt clear definitions and standards before the pause expires.","potentialEngagement":"Short-term zoning definition and standards drafting support within the moratorium period.","unsupportedClaims":["The project would harm the community","A ban will be adopted","Specific utility impacts"]},"engineering":{"fit":"Small cities with no data center zoning category.","architectureIntegration":"Not applicable; land-use rules affect where AI compute is sited.","prerequisites":["Power and water capacity data","Comparable ordinances","Facility size thresholds"],"constraints":["182-day maximum under Idaho law","No formal application filed","Current zoning lacks a data center use"],"security":"Not applicable to this land-use decision.","proofOfValue":["Compare draft thresholds with operating facilities of similar size","Test definitions against the proposed campus plans"]},"delivery":{"work":"Draft data center definitions and standards within the emergency moratorium.","dependencies":["Legal review","Public hearings","Utility input"],"ownership":"City planning and zoning staff with the city attorney.","skillsAdoption":"Planning staff need technical familiarity with data center loads and impacts.","governanceCheckpoints":["Public hearing on draft rules","Legal review before adoption","Council vote before expiry"],"acceptanceCriteria":["Proposed: draft ordinance published before the pause expires","Proposed: written responses to public comments"],"risks":["Deadline missed","Legal challenge","Unclear definition"]}},"retrievedAt":"2026-10-28T22:18:47-05:00","enrichedAt":"2026-10-28T22:23:36-05:00","enrichmentBasis":"retrieved source","accessibilityWorkforceImplications":"Places demand on planning staff to draft zoning rules within the pause.","procurementImplications":"None directly; affects private development applications, not city purchasing.","operatingModelImplications":"Planning departments must write data center definitions and standards on a deadline set by the pause.","sourceVerification":{"openedUrl":"https://www.kmvt.com/2026/10/28/mountain-home-city-council-passes-emergency-moratorium-data-center-projects-after-packed-public-meeting/","referenceExcerpt":"Under Idaho state law, an emergency moratorium can last no longer than 182 days — six months.","promptVersion":"sled-research-v4.0","model":null,"basis":"agent-reported inspection"}}}]}