At its meeting on Tuesday, the city council added exemptions to its moratorium, allowing some data centers to move forward.
The original moratorium, which passed on April 21, included exemptions for two facilities that were in the middle of zoning and permitting. The new amendment adds exemptions for two more data centers — at the Expand Energy Campus (formerly Chesapeake) and a facility near the OKC Outlet Mall.
The amendment allows companies to expand existing data centers or build new ones, as long as they use under 75 megawatts.
Ward 7 Councilman Camal Pennington said he appreciated that the exempted properties will still be subject to review, zoning and permitting.
"So the fact that we're not that we're just saying you're just going to have to go through the regular process, which allows the public to be heard, is a comfort to me in this," Pennington said.
Ward 6 Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon said the exemptions feel like favoritism, because there's already a mechanism to address any special cases.
"We have a process for folks to be heard and considered for exemptions or exceptions through the Board of Adjustment," Hamon said. "I just have deep discomfort with including specific properties in our policy."
The amendment passed 7-to-2. Councilmembers took an additional vote to enact it immediately.
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