Data Centers: Daily Notes | November 5, 2026

Swatara Township, Pennsylvania

Swatara Township commissioners voted 4-1 Wednesday night to approve the land development plan for a data center planned around Highland Street.

Residents raised concerns about effects on sleep and quality of life, along with the project’s proximity to residential areas. Officials said state regulations limit what the township can do, and Board of Commissioners President Shaela Ellis said that while she understands the opposition, the board is obligated to follow the law. Last month, the board approved community benefits agreements for two proposed data centers, including $84.15 million tied to Highlands West and $36.15 million tied to Highlands East.

Fort Madison, Iowa

The Fort Madison City Council canceled a planned public hearing on a draft ordinance regulating data centers and other high-impact developments after the Planning and Zoning Commission tabled its recommendation for another month.

The proposed “High Infrastructure Impact Development” ordinance would set objective thresholds for electrical demand, water and wastewater use, transportation, noise, emergency services, and other infrastructure impacts, rather than targeting one industry. Developments would be classified by impact level, with technical studies and independent verification required, while ordinary projects below the thresholds would follow the existing process.

Cromwell, Connecticut

The Cromwell Planning and Zoning Commission is set to consider a six-month moratorium on data center development Thursday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Cromwell considers moratorium to pause new data center developments

The Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to consider a six-month pause on data center development in Cromwell on Thursday.

Eyewitness News 3Stephannie Joseph

The meeting follows the release of emails between town officials and developer Global Common, which hopes to build a data center on open space along Geer Street. Records from a freedom of information request show town representatives have discussed the project for more than a year, though Mayor James Demetriades said no formal proposal has been filed. Under current zoning, a data center is allowed by right with no public hearing required. Demetriades said a moratorium would block new applications and give the commission time to review proposed regulation changes, which it will take up Dec. 3.

Lowndes County, Alabama

Lambda announced plans Wednesday for the Red Clay Technology Center Campus in Lowndes County, an estimated $33.1 billion data center project near U.S. 80 and Alabama 21.

The company says the campus would create more than 1,000 construction jobs and more than 225 full-time jobs, with construction expected to begin in early 2027 and take up to five years. Alabama Power would supply electricity pending regulatory approval, and Lambda says it will make upfront financial commitments to cover the full cost of power and grid infrastructure so existing customers don’t bear it, even if its plans change. Lambda said it will comply with the county’s previously approved Project Red Clay development agreements. Site developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure has projected more than $2.8 billion in local tax revenue through 2049, including more than $1.6 billion for Lowndes County Public Schools.

Walla Walla County, Washington

Amazon Web Services has been confirmed as the developer behind a data center campus in the Wallula Gap Business Park, with county documents outlining three 220,000-square-foot buildings on 134 acres.

AWS proceeds with data center project in Walla Walla, Washington

Details provided about cloud giant's first data center in the state

DCDGeorgia Butler

The Amazon Attalia Data Center Campus would sit between Sundance, Dodd, and Worden roads and is expected to have 300 megawatts of power capacity. Plans also include a security building, an industrial water facility, and a substation pad to be completed by a future utility provider. Walla Walla County and consultant Facet are conducting a State Environmental Policy Act review, after which AWS will respond to issues raised and a second public comment period will open before the county makes a decision. No timeline has been set.

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Scarborough, Maine

The Scarborough Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to ban data centers in all zoning districts, then lifted the town’s temporary moratorium now that the ban is in place.

The vote comes five months after the town adopted a 180-day emergency moratorium over concerns about electricity use, noise, water consumption, and impacts on nearby properties. The town’s Sustainability Committee concluded that the drawbacks of data centers outweigh the benefits, citing higher electricity costs, grid strain, water use, air pollution, and limited long-term jobs.

West Richland, Washington

The West Richland City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday limiting data centers to areas zoned Mixed-Use Light Industrial, while rejecting a push to pursue a temporary moratorium.

Councilmember Kate Moran proposed directing staff to draft a six-month moratorium ordinance, but the motion received only three votes when five were needed. The zoning limit comes after the city rezoned a significant amount of land to Mixed-Use Light Industrial earlier this year, making more property eligible for data centers. The council also approved an ordinance requiring the developer working with Amazon to reimburse the city’s administrative costs for evaluating the project, even if a data center is never built. No data center has been approved, and talks between the city, Amazon, and developers are ongoing.

Cochise County, Arizona

SpaceX hosted a community meeting Wednesday on a proposed AI data center in rural Cochise County that would cover about 747 acres near the Apache Generating Station along U.S. Highway 191.

According to a special use application filed with the county by Tombstone Resources LLC, the project would include nine data center buildings and require up to 6,000 megawatts of electricity at full build-out. The application calls for a dry-cooling system to reduce water use, and the applicant says the project could create thousands of construction jobs and potentially lower electricity bills. Residents at the meeting raised questions about water, wildlife, and noise. The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a formal public hearing Dec. 9.

Pine Township, Pennsylvania

Pine Township supervisors unanimously adopted a data center zoning ordinance Monday night, minutes after a public hearing that drew more than 60 residents and overflowed the municipal building.

Supervisor Todd Spears said the township acted because its 180-day window under state law to put data center rules in place expired Sunday, and officials wanted to prevent a data center from coming in without an ordinance. Residents raised concerns about setbacks, noise limits, and water and air discharges. Spears said the township can begin fine-tuning the ordinance right away, with any changes requiring public hearings. No data center application has been filed in the township, according to the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission.

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