Data Centers Resource Hub
Upcoming Events
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As local authority shapes decisions on permitting, infrastructure planning and community engagement for data centers, this dynamic hub turns ideas into practice across key areas, giving county leaders practical tools to support local decision making around development and long-term economic growth.
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NACo’s Data Center Resource Hub provides counties with a collection of strategies and resources to strengthen our approach to data center development and oversight. As local authority shapes decisions on permitting, infrastructure planning and community engagement for data centers, this dynamic hub turns ideas into practice across key areas, giving county leaders practical tools to support local decision making around development and long-term economic growth.
Resource
NACo Informational Primer and County Considerations: Data Centers
This resource provides county elected officials, administrators and planning leaders with a high-level framework to evaluate, permit and oversee data center development. Instead of focusing on technical details, it highlights key challenges across the project lifecycle and offers guidance for steering development toward long-term economic and environmental goals.
Peer Exchange
2026 NACo Data Center Peer Exchange
December 14–16 | Dorchester County, S.C.
Applications for NACo's Data Center Peer Exchange are closed.
Stay tuned for future opportunities through NACo's Rural Energy Academy.
County Spotlights
Data Center Development Recommendations for Local Communities
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
This guide assists local governments navigate data center proposals through zoning tools, benefit agreements and frameworks for evaluating developer commitments.
Data Center Zoning Ordinance
Susquehanna County, Pa.
Susquehanna County’s ordinance provides a local model for data center decommissioning, pairing defined shutdown triggers with enforceable timelines and robust financial assurance. Counties seeking to address long-term liability, stranded infrastructure and site restoration can look to this framework as a baseline for decommissioning requirements.
Data Center Zoning Ordinance
Maricopa County, Ariz.
This city ordinance within Maricopa County, Ariz. establishes a local framework for data center siting and community protection, with extensive noise mitigation requirements and mandatory neighborhood engagement.
For more county resources focused on data centers, as well as access to an information sharing platform for county leaders to discuss local challenges and solutions at work in America’s energy counties, join NACo’s Energy Counties Exchange.
Partner Resources
| Title | Organization | Description |
|---|---|---|
Data Center Fundamentals for Economic Development Districts Staff |
National Association of Development Organizations |
This resource examines the role Economic Development Districts (EDDs) can play in supporting counties and municipalities as they navigate data center projects, including convening regional stakeholders, assisting with zoning regulation clarity and outlining considerations such as property tax revenue and infrastructure demands. It provides an overview for local leaders assessing the economic and infrastructure impacts of data center development. |
Urban Land Institute |
This resource provides strategies for local officials and planners to understand data center development, navigate planning challenges and adapt model zoning guidelines for their jurisdictions. |
|
Climate Mayors |
This collection of case studies highlights how local jurisdictions are navigating data center development within their communities, with considerations including land use, water, noise and more. |
|
Community Strategies to Address Data Center Development and Operation |
American Association for the Advancement of Science and National League of Cities |
This fact sheet outlines zoning, permitting and policy approaches local governments can use to manage the land use and community impacts of data center development and operation. |
Turning the Data Center Boom into Long-Term, Local Prosperity |
Brookings Institute |
This report examines how counties and regions can approach data center development to secure long-term local benefits. |
Past Events
At the 2026 NACo Annual Conference & Expo, county leaders and industry experts examined how rapid data center growth is affecting local economies, land use, public revenues and electricity infrastructure. The discussion explored the county role in siting and grid stability, along with the fiscal and community considerations involved in evaluating new data center proposals.
County leaders from across the country joined in the Texas Panhandle for the 2026 NACo Energy Symposium. Held September 23-25, 2026, the event offered county officials a unique opportunity to engage with the most pressing issues shaping America today.
Attendees heard from experts, exchanged ideas with peers and gained practical into the policies, projects and partnerships driving the future of energy development. From grid reliability and energy infrastructure to economic development, land use, innovation and community impacts, the symposium equipped county officials with the insights, partnerships and strategies needed to lead in a rapidly changing energy landscape.
County leaders are navigating fast-moving energy and data center issues that can shape local economies, infrastructure and community priorities. NACo’s Rural Energy Academy webinar series provided counties with a practical forum to learn from experts, ask questions and exchange insights with peers facing similar opportunities and challenges on the ground.
View the recordings:
Water matters for data centers
Data centers often cluster in a few places, need treated water and use the most when demand is already high in hot weather. This growing demand is driving data center development nationwide, accelerating local proposals and the importance for county officials to understand impacts to energy, land and water resources.
Chips, Compute and Counties
NACo CEO Matt Chase: "The fundamentals remain the same [when it comes to data centers]: demand a seat at the table, study the supply chain, understand the financing capital stacks, ask hard questions and fight for a deal that leaves your community better off — not used and abused."
The "Backslash Backlash:" Counties pivot in the data center buildout
Data center development across the country has put a new focus on county policies, how they regulate land use and more for local residents and how they could shape the path for economic growth built around artificial intelligence and information technology.
County leaders push for a voice in data center regulation authority
County officials in states like West Virginia and Texas are limited in their ability to regulate data centers while still held accountable by their residents.
Are we building tomorrow’s infrastructure or yesterday’s data centers?
Counties can still welcome data center development, but they need to understand what the landscape is becoming. The machinery, the efficiency, the location, the cooling technology, the entire computing model will all be different.
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act: What Counties Need to Know about Federal Permitting Reform
Join NACo staff to learn more about how recently-introduced legislation would modernize the federal permitting process, reduce unnecessary delays, accelerate project delivery and ensure local expertise is incorporated into federal decision-making.
Secure & Responsible AI: Building Trust and Cyber Resilience in Local Government
As artificial intelligence transforms how local governments deliver essential services, county leaders face a critical challenge: how can they embrace AI innovation while protecting sensitive data, managing cybersecurity risks, and maintaining public trust?
Transforming Public Defense Operations for the Digital Evidence Era
Learn how the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office tackles surging digital evidence and case workloads using Box to achieve functional parity, automate document lifecycles, and securely query unstructured discovery.
Better Prompts, Better Results: Using GenAI Efficiently and Responsibly in County Government
County staff are being asked to do more with limited time and resources, and generative AI can help, but only if you know how to use it well and responsibly. This practical session will start with a quick AI prompting primer and then spend time on how better prompts translate into real efficiencies, from cutting the time it takes to draft communications, summarize policies, and prepare meeting notes, to responding to constituents faster and with greater clarity and accuracy.
Ready for El Niño: County Strategies for Preparation, Response, and Recovery
This webinar equips county officials with practical guidance to prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of El Niño.