Data Center Deep Dives: Permitting, Land Use, and Community Engagement

Local oversight of data centers is shifting fast, with cities and states moving well beyond traditional zoning and environmental review and establishing specific local requirements and restrictions concerning data center development. The firm is hosting the second webinar in our Data Center Deep Dives Series, where we will discuss the permitting and land use requirements that now influence and shape data center projects.

Building on the framework introduced in our kickoff program, in this session our team will discuss:

• The baseline permitting and environmental review processes developers must clear, along with the added layers of state statutes and local controls.
• Recent municipal actions across the country, including broad new regulations adopted in jurisdictions not previously viewed as data center hubs and the more tailored approaches emerging in established markets.
• How to engage municipalities early, responding when new restrictions appear, and participating in the drafting of local ordinances and regulations.
• How to develop an effective community outreach strategy, methods for addressing misinformation, and the structure of zoning, permitting, and community benefits packages that anticipate concerns before they harden into opposition.

This program is designed for developers, investors, operators, and advisors managing projects in jurisdictions where local control and community scrutiny can play a decisive role in moving data center projects forward.