Data Centers: Daily Notes | May 12, 2026
Charlotte advances a 150-day moratorium; Red Oak approves 830 acres for Compass despite packed opposition; and Jay County sets some of the strictest setback requirements in the country.
At A Glance 🔽
- Charlotte, NC council advances a 150-day moratorium; public hearing set for May 26, formal vote expected June 8.
- Red Oak, TX approves 830-acre rezoning for Compass Datacenters after a nearly five-hour meeting.
- Jay County, IN approves ordinances with 1,000-foot property and 2,500-foot dwelling setbacks for data centers.
- Van Wert, OH council passes three ordinances for a $10 billion data center, including annexation of 962 acres.
- Inver Grove Heights, MN approves a one-year moratorium without allowing public comment.
- Hoover, AL approves a case-by-case review ordinance for future data center proposals.
- Griffin, GA develops tiered zoning for minor and major data centers; hyperscale not permitted.
- Palo, IA commission recommends Google data center regulations with lighter oversight.
- Pekin, IL developer withdraws data center proposal and requests $85,000 deposit back.
- Penn Township, MI approves a 30-day moratorium; residents push for one to two years.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte City Council voted to schedule a May 26 public hearing on a proposed 150-day data center moratorium, the first step toward a formal vote expected June 8.
Data centers are currently allowed by right in eight zoning districts, including residential areas, and all existing facilities sit within 500 feet of homes. North Carolina's 2024 Senate Bill 382 restricts downzoning, complicating the city's options and driving the need for a pause.
Red Oak, Texas
Red Oak council voted to rezone nearly 830 acres from agricultural to planned development for a Compass Datacenters second campus and approved a tax abatement by the same margin.
Every resident who spoke during public comment opposed the rezoning. The city's planning and zoning board had voted against recommending it on April 27. A grassroots group has gathered more than 1,600 petition signatures and organized protests ahead of the vote.
Jay County, Indiana
Jay County Commissioners Public Hearing
Jay County Commissioners approved two new ordinances regulating data centers and battery storage facilities, replacing year-long moratoriums with permanent rules. Data centers must meet 1,000-foot setbacks from property lines and 2,500-foot setbacks from dwellings, with a 35-foot height cap, closed-loop cooling, a 50-decibel noise limit, and a 6-foot berm as a sound buffer.
Data centers are permitted only in agricultural-residential zones with a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Van Wert, Ohio
Van Wert City Council passed three ordinances tied to a proposed $10 billion data center, including the annexation of approximately 962 acres purchased by Thor Equities from the Marsh Foundation. All three passed with emergency provisions waiving three readings.
The majority of public commenters opposed the project, citing water, electricity, and noise concerns. Council members said the extended public process satisfied the obligation for public involvement.
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Inver Grove Heights approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in a split vote, joining Eagan and other Minnesota communities pausing development. The moratorium was prompted by a proposed center on the former Travel Tags site on Carmen Avenue from California-based Fortress Investment Group.
Residents were frustrated that the council did not allow public comment before the vote. The developer had argued its proposal is not comparable to the hyperscale facilities drawing opposition statewide.
Hoover, Alabama
ZONING ORDINANCE
Hoover City Council approved an ordinance creating a case-by-case review process for future data center proposals. City Planner Mac Martin Jr. said the goal was to evaluate projects individually rather than impose an outright ban.
Officials referenced potential requirements including buffer zones, setbacks, traffic studies, and utility capacity letters for any future applications.
Monday, May 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM
Griffin, Georgia
Griffin's Board of Commissioners reviewed proposed zoning amendments that would create a tiered system for data centers by special use permit. Minor facilities (up to 10,000 sq ft) and major facilities (10,000 to 275,000 sq ft) would be allowed in Planned Industrial Development zones. Hyperscale centers (500,000+ sq ft) would not be permitted.
The city imposed a 180-day moratorium in January while staff developed the framework. Staff said Griffin's residential layout makes heavy industrial use a poor fit.
Palo, Iowa
Palo's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a new ordinance regulating a Google data center planned near the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Facility, which is coming back online largely to power the project. Google had dropped out of similar negotiations with Linn County earlier this year.
The Palo ordinance is lighter than Linn County's earlier proposal: it defers water oversight to the Iowa DNR rather than requiring a local agreement, and lets Google redact confidential information instead of mandating open records. It now goes to the City Council for a public hearing.
Pekin, Illinois
Western Hospitality Partners formally withdrew its data center proposal at Monday's council meeting, requesting the return of its $85,000 deposit. The city had purchased the 1,000-acre Lutticken Farm for $14 million in July 2024 and sold 321 acres to the developer for $4.5 million. The New York-based company previously pulled back from a Kentucky project after similar community opposition.
Penn Township, Michigan
Penn Township approved a 30-day moratorium on data center projects after multiple developers expressed interest. Supervisor Oli Olafsson said the pause gives the planning board and township attorney time to review next steps.
Diamond Lake Association
Residents pushed for a one- to two-year moratorium instead. Trustee Scott Peters cast the only no vote, agreeing the timeline should be longer.
Regular Meeting Agenda 6:30 pm
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