Data Centers: Daily Notes | May 27, 2026
Bloomington, IL enacts a six-month data center moratorium, Charlotte weighs a 150-day pause, and more than 1,000 residents petition against a $1.5 billion project in Lowndes County, Alabama.
At A Glance 🔽
- Bloomington, IL imposes a six-month moratorium on data centers larger than 5 megawatts while it drafts regulations.
- Charlotte, NC council weighs a 150-day data center pause, with a vote set for June 8.
- Tennessee Valley (TVA) moves to renegotiate rates with its 153 local utilities, floating new charges for very large users like AI and data centers.
- Lowndes County, AL: more than 1,000 residents sign a petition opposing the $1.5 billion Project Red Clay data center.
- Putnam County, WV residents press for a moratorium as a new state law strips local control over a planned Google site.
- Botetourt County, VA: protesters pack a Board of Supervisors meeting over a proposed Google data center that wasn't even on the agenda.
- Clinton, IA council will vote June 9 on a 120-day moratorium tied to a proposed QTS data center.
- Nye County, NV water board members come out against a Pahrump data center over water use.
- Dowagiac, MI: homeowners file a federal class-action lawsuit over alleged constant noise from an Alliance Cloud Services data center.
- St. Joseph, MO holds a public hearing on annexing land for Capstone Technology Campus, which residents suspect could become a data center.
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington's City Council imposed a six-month moratorium on data centers larger than 5 megawatts, pausing any such project while city staff draft dedicated regulations. The pause can be extended.
The move comes about a week after the neighboring Normal Town Council approved its own moratorium, which runs through Nov. 30. Officials in both Twin Cities say there are no official plans to build large-scale data centers in the area.
City Manager Jeff Jurgens said the new rules being drafted would require at least two public hearings before the Planning Commission, with input from the data center industry and other stakeholders. Last year the city set its first zoning rules for data centers, which had been treated as warehouses, but feedback from two public forums in May pushed for tougher standards on environmental impact, noise and infrastructure.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dane Artisola
Last covered from...
Charlotte residents packed the City Council chamber for a hearing on a proposed 150-day pause on new data centers and other data storage facilities. The council is expected to vote on June 8.
Most speakers backed the moratorium, framing it as a planning tool to set standards and weigh cumulative impacts before more projects move forward. Several others, including a representative for real estate developers, warned that a pause could stall tech investment in the Queen City.
Tennessee Valley (TVA)
🔗 TVA 2026 Integrated Resource Plan
The Tennessee Valley Authority is moving to renegotiate electricity rates with the 153 local power companies it supplies, citing surging demand from data centers and other energy-intensive industries.
In a letter sent to those utilities in February, TVA said it had been "called upon to support historic load growth" across the seven-state region it serves, and that large, rapidly scaling loads are straining the system. Its proposals include more rate stability for big manufacturers, a new "marginal pricing" option, and possible new customer classes and extra capacity charges for very large users such as AI and data centers.
Spokesperson Scott Brooks said TVA expects to bring its proposed actions to the board in August, and that the board makes the final determination.
Lowndes County, Alabama
Louis
More than 1,000 residents signed a petition opposing the proposed $1.5 billion Project Red Clay data center, presenting it at Tuesday night's county commission meeting in Hayneville. Turnout was so large that the commission chairman ordered the doors closed before the meeting, citing fire code.
It was the second straight month hundreds packed the meeting. Opponents worry about water, farmland and the site's proximity to Gardner Farm, a campsite on the historic Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March route. Organizers count roughly 215 homes within two miles.
Commissioner Robert Harris said Alabama law gives the county no authority to approve or reject the project because Lowndes has no zoning, and that the only related vote commissioners hold is on tax abatements, which developers have not formally requested. The developers, who have not named the project's end user, plan a community open house on June 3.
Putnam County, West Virginia
Residents urged the Putnam County Commission to adopt a moratorium on data centers during two hours of public comment in Winfield, citing fears about excessive noise and water pollution.
Speakers pointed to House Bill 2014, a new state law that strips counties of the ability to regulate or enforce rules such as noise ordinances against data centers. One resident suggested a legal challenge to the law's constitutionality.
In March, Google purchased about 1,700 acres in the Buffalo area for a potential data center site. According to Gov. Patrick Morrisey, Google will cover 100% of the electricity it uses and plans to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030. The commission noted that even without HB 2014, it would have no power to stop a data center from locating there.
Botetourt County, Virginia
BOCO Board of Supervisors Meeting - May 26, 2026
Dozens of residents packed a Botetourt County Board of Supervisors meeting to protest a proposed Google data center, even though the project was not on the night's agenda.
Protesters said they wanted leaders to hear their concerns about the resources a data center would require, especially water. One resident said she worried the project could draw down the aquifer her private well depends on. The crowd gathered ahead of a meeting where supervisors were set to approve the county budget.
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Google has already given the county millions of dollars, including funding toward a new 9-1-1 center. Some protesters argued that accepting the company's money could create pressure to support the data center.
Clinton, Iowa
The Clinton City Council agreed to vote June 9 on a 120-day moratorium on data center development, which would give the city time to draft a zoning ordinance.
The decision followed more than three hours of public comment. Speakers raised concerns about a data center proposed by QTS, which is in the early planning stages for a site within city limits, north of U.S. Highway 30 and west of Mill Creek Parkway.
Nye County, Nevada
Nye County Water District board members made clear they would not support a data center in Pahrump, even though no formal proposal is on the table, citing concern over scarce water.
Board members said they wanted to make their stance known as data center debates spread across Nevada. One member said he did not see a way to move forward in good faith with a project that could use 1,000 acre-feet of water; another said data centers can be built to use far less water, but at higher cost.
The board noted that any decision would ultimately rest with the Nye County Commissioners.
Dowagiac, Michigan
Two homeowners filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the owners of a hyperscale data center in Dowagiac, alleging that constant, excessive noise has made it harder to enjoy their homes and has hurt property values.
The complaint names Alliance Cloud Services, which owns and operates the facility. The data center has run in Dowagiac since 2022 and recently announced plans to acquire more land to expand. Two nearby homeowners brought the case on behalf of residents living within one mile of the site.
They allege the company failed to install adequate soundproofing to contain the noise, letting it spill beyond the property line. The plaintiffs have requested a jury trial, and the company has not yet filed a response in court.
St. Joseph, Missouri
Public Hearing Item 7 PUBLIC HEARING FOR VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 6321 SE PICKETT ROAD.
The St. Joseph City Council held a public hearing on annexing land at 6321 S.E. Pickett Road requested by Capstone Technology Campus, LLC, which some residents suspect could be used for a data center.
Residents questioned the annexation's purpose and the company behind it. City Manager Mike Schumacher said the only matter before the council was the annexation itself, and that the city has no further details on how the land would be used. Capstone Technology Campus LLC remains largely unidentified, and no official proposal for the site has been filed.
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