Data Centers: Daily Notes | October 06, 2026

Old Town, Maine

Old Town's City Council unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on data center development Monday, making it the second Greater Bangor community to pass a short-term ban.

Old Town temporarily bans data centers

The six-month ban, which outlaws the development of data centers in the city’s industrial zones, is retroactive to Sept. 8.

Bangor Daily NewsKasey Turman

The moratorium outlaws data centers in the city's industrial zones and is retroactive to Sept. 8, when the council first discussed the idea. Data centers are already not allowed in other zones under the city's land use ordinance. Discussion Monday lasted about a minute because of the extensive conversation in September, with Councilor Zachary Wyles saying the pause gives the city plenty of time to assess the risks and benefits of the technology.

Council President Christian Pushor said at the September meeting that Old Town could appeal to data center developers because of its industrial zones and its history with businesses like Nine Dragons Paper and Old Town Canoe. The moratorium is set to expire in March but could be extended to June, and Councilor Katrina Wynn said she wants the public to decide rather than rely on those with time to contact councilors.

Hermantown, Minnesota

Hermantown's City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve the Alternative Urban Areawide Review for the proposed Google data center, a 2,700-page environmental review that includes comments from five government agencies and more than 200 residents.

An AUAR is a state-authorized process for studying how development scenarios could affect the environment before construction begins. Public concerns recorded in it include environmental impacts, wetlands and transparency. Project representatives from Kimley Horn and Mortenson Construction said many of the document's items resulted from the public process, with Mortenson's Chris Bates calling them a demonstration of Google's commitment to public input.

The Minnesota DNR sent a letter in August asking for clarification and revision, including wetland mitigation plans and added monitoring, and presenters said they made changes while noting the DNR never formally objected. Council also planned to vote on the environmental review for the Minnesota Power transmission line that would serve the project, but moved it to Thursday because public comment ran long.

Lincoln County, Washington

Lincoln County commissioners heard from a packed courthouse room Monday at the required public hearing on a six-month moratorium that has already been passed, pausing permit applications for data centers and battery energy storage systems.

Water drew the most concern. Paula Husky said water is scarce in most of the county and that many wells, including the two serving Davenport, have had dropping levels, while Randy Kueter asked what happens to water after it is used. Jason McCauly worried that ground vibration could unsettle livestock, and Alan Rimkeit said small landowners would be caught in the middle with no recourse. A few speakers welcomed the idea, with Terry Johnson saying the county needs the tax base and that a data center can be built safely.

The county said it has received no data center or battery storage applications. During the six months, the planning commission will meet monthly to work on a draft zoning ordinance, which will then go to commissioners for final approval.

Strisker Updates Tracker

How do you keep up with the regulatory rollercoaster in your market? Strisker's Updates Tracker can be your guide - start tracking latest events as they happen and get access to essential documents as they come in. We know the struggle, which is why we built this product to capture every twist and turn in the regulatory saga so you never miss a beat.

Start Your Free Trial

Imperial County, California

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday on repealing its two interim urgency data center moratorium ordinances, then hold an 11 a.m. public hearing on enacting a fresh temporary moratorium on data center approvals.

County Counsel Geoffrey P. Holbrook will ask the board under Item 15 to repeal and set aside Ordinance Nos. 1616 and 1618, the interim urgency moratorium on data centers, in compliance with a peremptory writ of mandate issued by the court. Immediately after, under Item 19, supervisors will consider a new interim ordinance under California Government Code Section 65858 that would establish a temporary moratorium on data center approvals in the unincorporated areas.

Supervisors Jesus Eduardo Escobar of District 1 and Martha Cardenas-Singh of District 2 are also putting forward a discussion item on a potential ballot measure that would let Imperial County residents vote directly on the future of data center development across the valley.

Volusia County, Florida

Volusia County leaders are set to discuss a proposed ordinance that would ban large-scale data centers in unincorporated Volusia County, with a first reading scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center in DeLand.

The 26-page ordinance cites Florida Senate Bill 484, which took effect in July and lets local governments regulate large-scale data centers through land development regulations, along with studies on data centers' water consumption, environmental effects and health risks. Under it, the county would not review or approve applications, permits, rezonings or amendments for building or expanding a large-scale data center. County Chair Jeff Brower said at an Aug. 17 meeting that smaller server rooms are necessary but the county doesn't need facilities that take up the water residents drink and farmers use.

County leaders voted unanimously in August to have staff draft the ban. The Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission is expected to discuss it Oct. 15, with a second and final reading before the County Council set for Oct. 20. If approved, it takes effect once filed with the Florida Department of State.

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Anne Arundel County Council voted 7-0 Monday night to approve an amended Bill 63-26 establishing a temporary moratorium on new data center development, running until Jan. 31, 2028, or until the county adopts comprehensive data center legislation, whichever comes first.

Anne Arundel County approves moratorium on new data centers through 2028

New data center development in Anne Arundel County is on hold while county leaders decide how to regulate the rapidly growing industry.

WMAR 2 News BaltimoreSiobhan Garrett

Council members first considered banning new privately operated data centers, then unanimously amended the bill in September to swap the ban for a moratorium. Projects already in the development process can generally continue, and the amended measure also covers future phases of existing data centers on adjacent or adjoining properties. Microsoft, which is developing a campus at Annapolis Junction Business Park, had testified against the original ban, saying it supported regulations and a work group but wanted existing campuses to keep developing.

During the pause, a county work group will study the industry and recommend permanent rules to the county executive and council, looking at energy and water use, utility infrastructure, noise, air quality, environmental impacts and economic development. The legislation also repeals a personal property tax assessment reduction for qualified data storage centers.

📱 Social Buzz

Social Listening 🎧: Podcast

Policy talk doesn’t just happen in the news cycle—it can also live in long-form audio. Strisker’s Podcast Signal turns hours of episodes into actionable insight, indexing transcripts so you can surface key mentions of STRs, data centers, ordinances, and local decision-makers in seconds.

Create Your Watchlist - 14 Day Free Trial

👍 We’d love your feedback.
Which stories hit? Which ones missed?

We're exploring a new branch of topics centered around Data Centers and want to make it even more useful for you.

✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!

-Will McClure
🙋 P.S.
Know someone else who should be reading Daily Notes? Feel free to forward this along. We’re opening a few more spots.