Lincoln joins pact of 42 global cities to set data center standards

Lincoln announced Tuesday that it is joining 41 other cities across the world to set standards for sustainable location and operations of data centers. Seventeen of the 42 cities are in the United States.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said that as data center construction continues across the country, it is the responsibility of cities to protect natural resources and residents’ quality of life.

“By joining this effort, Lincoln is helping advance a thoughtful approach to managing that growth responsibly,” Gaylor Baird said in a statement.

Lincoln’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kim Morrow said in a statement that the pact “underscores our commitment to work with industry on responsible growth for the digital economy.”

The pact is through C40, a global network of mayors focused on sustainability and climate action. It contains four key aspects:

• Strategic Integration
• Sustainability and Resource Efficiency
• Accountability and Community Focus
• Cost Security and Shared Prosperity

In the advisory guide provided by C40, the organization recommends putting zoning ordinances in place to “protect public health and community standards.” Those include actions such as enforcing noise limits and obtaining special use permits.

Another recommendation includes a case study from Des Moines, Iowa. It says that to encourage job growth, Des Moines partnered with data center companies to develop a “tuition free data center technician training academy” through its local community college.

The Capital City already has a Google data center near Interstate 80 and North 56th Street that is operating, but still under construction.

As for what the pact entails for the future of data centers in Lincoln, Morrow told Nebraska Public Media in a statement that “any possible expansion would require compliance with the City’s Water Master Plan and Water Management Plan.” She said the city of Lincoln determined that a second data center would put undue stress on Lincoln’s water resources.

There isn’t an official timeline to introduce regulation in city code for data centers fitting this framework, Morrow said.

She hopes this gives Lincolnites clear expectations and assurance when it comes to data center regulation and development.

More than a dozen counties in Nebraska, mostly small, rural ones, have either approved a moratorium on data center construction or are in the process of doing so. Also, Gov. Jim Pillen last month signed an executive order ending state tax incentives for data center projects.