The Town of Mamakating is considering a temporary moratorium on data center development, with a public hearing scheduled for September 15.

The proposal comes as municipalities across the region grapple with how to regulate the rapidly growing infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital services.

During a recent interview on Radio Catskill’s The Local Edition, journalist Chris Rowley said the town appears to be taking a proactive approach before any major proposal reaches local officials.

“They don’t seem to have any applications yet, but they know that they could come in at any time,” Rowley said. He said a moratorium could give the town time to study the issue and develop regulations before considering future projects.

Data centers are large facilities filled with computer servers that process and store information. Demand for the facilities has increased dramatically alongside the growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

But the facilities can also require substantial amounts of electricity and cooling infrastructure.

Rowley said one concern for rural communities is the potential noise created by the thousands of cooling fans used inside some data centers.

“You might have, you know, 20,000 of them inside this big building,” Rowley said, describing racks of servers that must be continuously cooled. He said large numbers of fans can create a persistent high-pitched sound that operates around the clock.

The discussion in Mamakating comes as New York lawmakers are considering how the state should regulate the industry.

In June, the State Legislature passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would place a one-year moratorium on certain state permits for large data centers while New York studies their environmental and energy impacts.

During the Radio Catskill conversation, Rowley also pointed to another energy infrastructure issue facing local municipalities: large-scale battery storage.

Battery energy storage systems can store electricity when demand is low and send it back onto the electric grid when demand increases. Rowley said those facilities can help stabilize the grid but may also raise questions about fire safety, particularly when large numbers of lithium-ion batteries are stored together.

Those questions are becoming increasingly important as communities prepare for greater electricity demand from electric vehicles, renewable energy projects and data centers.

Rowley said temporary moratoriums can give local governments time to understand emerging technology before deciding what zoning, safety and environmental protections should be put in place.

“Municipalities now have the option of creating these moratoriums to give them the time to get up to speed on what this could mean,” Rowley said.

Mamakating residents will have a chance to weigh in on the proposed data center moratorium during the September 15 public hearing.