Data Centers: Daily Notes | November 3, 2026
More towns pause data centers: Mooresville, Hamburg and Martin County adopt one-year moratoriums, Westbrook bans standalone facilities, Ellington drafts its own pause, and Hanover Township nears a vote on a 350-megawatt project. READ MORE.
At A Glance đź”˝
- Mooresville, North Carolina unanimously adopted a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications, which gives the town time to decide whether it wants a data center at all.
- Westbrook, Maine unanimously banned standalone data centers but still allows them as an accessory use, such as server rooms that support other businesses.
- Hanover Township, Pennsylvania scheduled two more hearings, on Nov. 10 and 11, on Prime Data Centers’ permit for a 350-megawatt data center and natural gas plant in Starpointe Business Park.
- Hamburg, New York unanimously approved a one-year data center moratorium so the town can revisit its zoning rules as the facilities change in nature and scale.
- Ellington, Connecticut is drafting a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers so it can study their power, water, public safety and farmland impacts before any project is proposed.
- Estherville, Iowa sent draft data center rules to a Nov. 16 public hearing, and city leaders revealed they are in talks with two developers.
- Martin County, Florida approved a one-year moratorium on data center applications in unincorporated areas, but it likely won’t apply to a 959,000-square-foot proposal filed Oct. 13.
Mooresville, North Carolina
Mooresville commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to adopt a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications.
Town leaders said the pause will give them time to weigh business growth against the potential environmental and electrical impacts of the facilities. Commissioner Gary West said the moratorium is a starting point for deciding whether the town wants a data center at all and, if so, what parameters would apply, including energy use, water use, and where one could be located.
Westbrook, Maine
The Westbrook City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday night banning standalone data centers in the city.
The ordinance still allows data centers as an accessory use, so smaller operations like server rooms can continue supporting other businesses. It also removes data centers as a permitted use in the Rock Row Contract Zone, which had been the only area in Westbrook where they were allowed. The vote follows a 180-day moratorium the council adopted in June, during which the Planning Board reviewed the city’s rules and weighed concerns about water use, energy demand, noise, and economic development.
Hanover Township, Pennsylvania
The Hanover Township Board of Supervisors has scheduled two more hearings, Nov. 10 and 11, on Prime Data Centers’ conditional use permit for a 350-megawatt data center in Starpointe Business Park, after nearly a dozen sessions so far.
The Dallas-based developer applied in May to build seven data center buildings and an attached 350-megawatt natural gas power plant on about 120 acres. The upcoming hearings are meant to give residents a final chance to cross-examine Prime’s witnesses before the board votes, though it’s unclear whether more sessions will be added in December. If built, the project would be the first major data center in Washington County. Both hearings start at 6 p.m. at the Hanover Volunteer Fire Department, 9 Starck Drive, in Burgettstown.
Hamburg, New York
The Hamburg Town Board unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers at its Monday night meeting.
Spectrum News Staff
The measure bars the town from issuing or even considering permits, applications, and other materials tied to building, expanding, or operating data centers. Hamburg already regulates AI data centers under its zoning laws, but the board said it wants to revisit those rules given how quickly the facilities are changing in nature and scale. The pause will give the town time to decide whether additional regulations are needed to protect residents, infrastructure, natural resources, and neighboring properties.
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Ellington, Connecticut
Ellington officials are working on a proposed one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers, aiming to get ahead of development before any project is proposed.
First Selectman Laurie Burstein said the town wants to understand the facilities’ electricity and water demands, public safety needs, and potential impact on Ellington’s farmland before accepting any proposal. She also wants to know what a data center could require of local infrastructure and emergency services, including how firefighters would respond to an incident. Town officials are refining the language to make sure it targets large commercial facilities without affecting homeowners with rooftop solar or small battery storage systems.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to revisit the proposal at an upcoming meeting, followed by a public hearing.
Estherville, Iowa
The Estherville City Council voted to send the Planning and Zoning Commission’s draft data center rules to a public hearing on Nov. 16, as city leaders revealed they are in talks with two developers.
Ellen Eide
Only one data center would be considered for the community. Council members discussed potential noise and low-frequency impacts near an elementary school, and Council Member at Large David Hovinga cast the lone vote against advancing the rules, urging the Planning and Zoning Commission to strengthen health protections first. The hearing is set for 5 p.m., with the location yet to be announced, and the ordinance could still be sent back to Planning and Zoning for revisions afterward.
Martin County, Florida
The Martin County Commission approved a one-year moratorium Oct. 27 on accepting development applications for data centers in unincorporated areas, after more than two dozen residents urged final adoption.
Scott Sutton
The ordinance does not apply to applications submitted and deemed sufficient before it took effect, which likely leaves out a data center application filed Oct. 13, the same day the commission held its first reading. That proposal calls for 959,000 square feet in four buildings on an 84-acre platted industrial subdivision at the South Florida Gateway Industrial Park, and County Attorney Elysse Elder said projects in platted industrial parks are approved administratively under county code.
📱 Social Buzz
Gov. @GregAbbott_TX ordered the @PUCTX and @ERCOT_ISO in Aug. to audit power and water use on every Batch Zero data center project.
— James Dickey (@jamesdickey) November 3, 2026
In Sep. he directed the @TWDB to enforce water-use reporting, then ordered the @TCEQ to pause data centers permits until all audits are complete.…
Pickens County Council approved the first reading Monday of an ordinance establishing a six-month moratorium on data centers, giving county officials additional time to research the facilities and consider regulations governing their development.https://t.co/O8kWTacPd5
— The Journal, Seneca, SC (@UpstateTodaySC) November 3, 2026
New Braunfels has drafted the strictest local data center rules we've seen in Texas: 50-acre minimum lots, a council permit for every project, 2,000 feet from homes, schools and parks, 35 decibels at the fence line.https://t.co/d9lKKDTgZv pic.twitter.com/NCvYjgcJ6Q
— The Texas Dispatch (@Texas_Dispatch) November 3, 2026
Warrick data center ordinance heads to county with 'unfavorable' vote https://t.co/rZLPL5QnZa
— Courier & Press (@courierpress) November 3, 2026
Town leaders say no data centers have been proposed in Ellington, but they want to study the potential impacts before developers come knocking. https://t.co/1dwPIfpujy
— FOX61 (@FOX61News) November 3, 2026
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