Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Council unanimously passed an emergency moratorium blocking new data center zoning and development applications through Dec. 31, 2026. The ordinance exempts two data centers with pending rezoning near Interstate 40 and Frisco Road, and near Northwest 23rd Street and Frisco Road.

Oklahoma City Council approves moratorium on new data centers

The moratorium halts the acceptance of new applications, the processing of and the issuance of rezoning requests and permits related to the construction or expansion of data centers.

City of OKC

The moratorium was first discussed at an Oct. 30, 2025 special planning session. Planning Director Geoff Butler noted the city's current data center ordinances date to the 1990s, and the city is home to nine smaller facilities. Mayor David Holt acknowledged concerns from existing local operators that the ordinance may be too broad, saying the council would look into refining definitions to target hyperscale centers without disrupting smaller operations.

Marshall County, Indiana

Marshall County Commissioners permanently banned data centers and imposed strict new regulations on large-scale solar and battery storage, in what officials said may be the first permanent ban of its kind in Indiana. The ban replaces a one-year moratorium the county previously had in place.

The commissioners also adopted an ordinance requiring Battery Energy Storage Systems to maintain a 1,320-foot setback from the nearest property line. A first reading on new solar farm regulations, capping projects at five acres of panel area, passed Monday and goes to a final vote on May 4.

Arkansas

All six resolutions from Sen. Bryan King targeting data center regulations failed in the Arkansas Senate, blocking proposed changes to the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023. King's resolutions would have given local communities the power to decide whether data centers are built in their area and addressed environmental impacts.

King cited concerns about energy capacity, noting that utilities had promised sufficient capacity three years ago but have since raised rates and acknowledged shortfalls. Two of his resolutions were approved to be filed as non-appropriation bills, but none advanced as regulations.

Plainfield, Illinois

Plainfield village trustees unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on data center proposals, pausing applications while the village drafts a new Unified Development Ordinance. The move follows opposition to data centers in neighboring Joliet and Yorkville.

Village Administrator Joshua Blakemore said current zoning regulations don't fully account for data center impacts, and proceeding under the existing framework could lead to outcomes inconsistent with long-term planning goals. The moratorium can be extended if the UDO update is not completed within the initial period.

Documents

This page will be updated throughout the UDO process. We will upload any materials related to the project for public review as soon as they become available. Stay tuned! Project Documents and Mater…

Plainfield Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)

Orange County, North Carolina

Orange County Board of Commissioners Approves One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers • Orange County, NC

Orange County logo

Orange County's Board of Commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers, including AI facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations, and data processing centers. The board directed staff to prepare amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance to define and regulate large-scale data centers.

Rowan County, North Carolina

Rowan County Commissioners passed a one-year data center moratorium after over 100 residents rallied outside the meeting in opposition to a proposed facility on Long Ferry Road.

The moratorium does not apply to the Long Ferry development due to state law limiting moratoriums on active projects. Chairman Greg Edds presented a "community bill of protections" as a starting point, including a ban on tax incentives, closed-loop cooling requirements, three-decibel noise limits, and a decommissioning bond covering 125% of estimated costs. The commission must vote again on May 4 because one commissioner left before the vote.

Colorado

Colorado's rewritten data center incentive bill (HB 1030) heads to its first committee hearing Thursday, after three months on ice and intense discussion with tech industry leaders and conservation groups.

The 50-page rewrite keeps a 100% state sales-tax exemption on construction materials for 30 years but adds a mandatory tariff for facilities using over 50 megawatts, requiring them to cover all costs of new energy generation, transmission, and distribution. The bill also requires 75% renewable energy through 2039 (100% by 2040), water transparency reports, LEED Gold or Energy Star certification, and prevailing wage requirements.

Centralia, Missouri

Centralia's Board of Aldermen unanimously passed an ordinance that defines and establishes rules for data centers, though no developer has proposed a project. Mayor Chris Cox said the move is proactive.

The rules require a conditional use permit and permanent buildings. The action follows proposals in nearby Montgomery County, where residents pushed back over resource concerns.

🔎 Industry Trends

xAI's Growing Compute Footprint

SpaceX recently announced a partnership with Cursor that ties the coding AI company to xAI's Colossus training supercomputer, described as a million-H100 equivalent cluster. The deal includes an option for SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60 billion later this year, or pay $10 billion for the collaboration.

xAI's Colossus facility in Memphis has already faced an NAACP lawsuit and regulatory complaints over unpermitted gas turbines and air pollution. As xAI scales compute capacity to support new partnerships, the pressure on host communities grows, a dynamic playing out in cities across the country that are now racing to pass moratoriums.

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