Data Centers: Daily Notes | August 31, 2026

New Jersey

Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation requiring data centers to disclose water and energy use, completing the second piece of her four‑part plan announced in May.

The law mandates semiannual reporting to the Board of Public Utilities for three years, covering electricity consumption, on‑site power, and water sourcing. It follows July’s Data Center Fair Share law, which created a separate rate structure to prevent residential customers from subsidizing grid costs. The administration also issued guidance on community benefits agreements and labor standards, including prevailing wages. Sherrill rejected calls for a statewide moratorium, saying municipalities already have authority to impose local restrictions.

Kokomo, Indiana

Kokomo’s Common Council advanced an ordinance allowing data centers on industrial sites by a 6–2 vote, rejecting calls for a moratorium.

Kokomo council advances data center ordinance despite public opposition

The Kokomo Common Council President dismissed the idea of a data center moratorium ahead of a vote advancing new regulations allowing data centers on industrial sites.

WRTV IndianapolisTim Spears

The measure requires facilities to be set back 200 feet from residential districts and 300 feet from homes but does not add stricter rules on utilities, noise, or infrastructure. Council President Greg Davis said a moratorium would only delay action, while opponents criticized the ordinance for lacking protections. The proposal still needs final approval at the council’s September 14 meeting.

North Port, Florida

North Port commissioners are weighing a temporary moratorium on data centers as they review plans for an 896,000‑square‑foot facility in the Yorkshire area.

North Port considers pause on data center development as residents voice concerns

North Port considers pause on data center development as residents voice concerns

WWSBABC7 Staff

The proposal has not yet been approved, but residents voiced concerns about environmental impacts, utility demands, and the role of artificial intelligence. The commission will hold a first reading of the moratorium on August 31, followed by a workshop on September 3 to study data center impacts. A final vote is scheduled for September 8, leaving both the project and the moratorium undecided. Officials said the pause would give the city time to determine whether new regulations are needed before projects move forward.

Jefferson, Texas

Jefferson’s City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing data center development inside city limits, citing concerns about utility systems, infrastructure, and community character.

Marshall News Messenger

Marshall News Messenger | Marshall, TX

Marshall News Messenger

The move comes despite no formal proposals, with council members pointing to Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide moratorium and audit order as a signal to act preemptively. Residents spoke against data centers, warning of water use and ecosystem disruption, while Alderwoman Kimberly Parsons noted Jefferson’s reliance on the Southwest Power Pool rather than ERCOT leaves fewer protections. The resolution calls for further studies on impacts to utilities, public safety, and economic goals.

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Middlesex Township, Pennsylvania

Middlesex Township again delayed a vote on the proposed PAX‑1 data center, rescheduling for September 2 after a medical emergency interrupted the latest meeting.

Officials are expected to consider approval of six of the 16 planned buildings, marking the second postponement after an earlier meeting was canceled due to overcrowding. While substations tied to the project have already been approved, residents say construction activity is disrupting daily life with noise, lighting, and traffic. The debate comes as Pennsylvania enforces new statewide guardrails on AI data centers, which the developer says it already meets.

Effingham County, Georgia

Senator Raphael Warnock called for a statewide moratorium on data center construction after meeting Effingham County residents concerned about OpenAI’s proposed 3.2‑gigawatt Project Camellia.

Warnock Visits Future OpenAI Data Center Site, Calls for Statewide Moratorium

Local residents questioned why guardrails were not established before the project advanced, while the county’s development authority defended confidentiality as part of standard economic development negotiations. OpenAI responded by supporting the senator’s focus on community protections and outlined commitments including closed‑loop cooling, treated surface water, and $80 million in community benefits. The project remains subject to state and county reviews, permitting, and site‑plan approval.

Building AI infrastructure with the Effingham County community

OpenAI announces Project Camellia in Effingham County, Georgia, with commitments to responsible energy, community investment, jobs, and access to Codex.

OpenAI

Barber County, Kansas

Barber County commissioners will hold a special meeting September 1 to discuss an agreement with Google for a hyperscale data center north of Sharon.

The agenda includes an executive session with legal counsel, after which commissioners could finalize the deal. The project, called Project Helium, would involve multiple buildings and create 500 full‑time jobs. Residents remain divided, with some citing economic benefits and others warning about landscape changes and infrastructure strain. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Barber County Courthouse in Medicine Lodge.

Wixom, Michigan

Wixom officials ended their six‑month moratorium early and adopted new zoning restrictions on data centers, including a 1,500‑foot setback from homes, schools, and parks, a ban on well water, and mandatory sound studies.

The changes came just weeks after developer Wixom Industrial One, LLC filed a federal lawsuit claiming the moratorium was illegal and designed to block its Midwinds Park project. The developer argues its 519,400‑square‑foot proposal meets city requirements and would limit noise and water use, but council members said stronger rules are needed to withstand legal challenges. Roughly 100 residents attended the Aug. 26 meeting, urging officials to fight the lawsuit and make the ordinance as restrictive as possible. Mayor Patrick Beagle said the city’s goal is to craft defensible standards that will hold up in court.

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Episode Title: Data Centers - Advocating for Strong Local Rules
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