Data Centers: Daily Notes | October 15, 2026

Virginia

Virginia state Sen. Russet Perry, a Democrat from Loudoun County, has proposed a three-year moratorium on data center development in Senate Bill 843, which would stop state agencies from approving data center planning applications for three years starting July 1, 2027.

Virginia senator proposes three-year state-wide data center moratorium

Pause would enable more legislation to be drawn up

DCDMatthew Gooding

Perry said the pause is meant to give lawmakers time to write rules for the industry, arguing it has grown unchecked while families face rising electric bills and transmission lines threaten homes, schools, churches and farms. She said the state lacks the infrastructure to protect the grid and meet the demand of these facilities, and that Virginia cannot keep rubber-stamping new data centers when it cannot manage the ones already built.

In August, Perry and Republican Sen. Richard Stuart called for a review of data centers’ strain on the state’s groundwater. Gov. Abigail Spanberger has not backed a moratorium but introduced a Data Center Accountability Framework last month that bans nondisclosure agreements for new projects and calls for noise regulations.

Van Buren Township, Michigan

The Van Buren Township Planning Commission voted 5-1 Wednesday to approve the final site plan for Google’s data center near Detroit Metro Airport, clearing the way for construction of what would be Michigan’s second hyperscale facility.

The vote followed nearly an hour of public comment and capped a local approval process that began last year. The site, zoned industrial and developed with Pannatoni Data Centers, would have six buildings, a substation and equipment yards across 150 of 282 acres, with 1 gigawatt of demand, roughly the energy use of 750,000 homes. It would draw up to 3.6 million gallons of water a day from the Great Lakes Water Authority. Commissioner Medina Atchinson said she would want Google if a data center is coming, and several members praised Google’s work to limit noise.

Michigan regulators approved a 20-year DTE Energy power contract Oct. 1 and wetland permits in August. Google is expected to start drawing power by late 2027. The township and Wayne County agreed to half-price local taxes, worth about $125 million over 12 years, in exchange for $15.4 million for local infrastructure and at least 51 full-time jobs.

Millington, Tennessee

Millington’s board of mayor and aldermen approved a six-month moratorium Monday on development applications for non-grid power generation, accessory computing and industrial-scale computing facilities, effective immediately and set to expire April 12 unless extended.

The resolution says these uses are among the fastest-growing land uses nationally and are not addressed as a distinct use in the city’s zoning ordinance, creating uncertainty for applicants and the city. The pause gives the city time to reexamine its zoning ordinances and to study the impacts of such facilities, including development, demographic trends, aesthetics and community burdens. Applications already accepted would be exempt, but Millington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chris Thomas said that doesn’t apply because the city has not received a data center proposal.

The vote comes as Shelby County weighs a moratorium for unincorporated areas, which passed first reading Monday 5-4, and as the Memphis City Council prepares a final decision Oct. 20 on its own moratorium after twice delaying the vote.

Broward County, Florida

Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher is asking the county to draft an ordinance creating a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas, an item on Tuesday’s commission agenda that appears to be the county’s first step into the data center debate.

Fisher said he wants to understand the electric and water demands and decide whether the county should act. Because the unincorporated area is primarily residential, he wants to make sure residents are not left with a massive data center next to single-family homes.

Palm Beach, Leon, Martin and Manatee counties have already adopted temporary pauses while staff research impacts and develop land regulations. Broward has at least four active data centers, according to Rice University’s Baker Institute map.

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Lake County, Florida

Lake County commissioners voted 3-2 on Oct. 13 to postpone authorizing a public hearing on proposed large-scale data center regulations, and asked staff to draft a 90-day extension of the moratorium that has been in place since September.

Lake County delays vote on data center rules, weighs moratorium extension

The Lake County Commission recently deferred action on proposed regulations for large-scale data centers and debated whether to prolong a temporary ban on development applications.

Mid Florida NewspapersBeth Dickey, Contributing Writer

The draft ordinance would set conditional uses for data centers and a permitting process in industrial and manufacturing zones in unincorporated areas. The delay came because Commissioner Sean Parks suggested edits the rest of the board had no time to review, pushing the authorization out two weeks and the two required public hearings to mid-November and early December. Commissioners Leslie Campione and Anthony Sabatini opposed, with Campione wanting a longer ban and Sabatini opposing the conditional use permit process.

The board did not vote on the extension, which also requires a public hearing, but officials said three more months would allow time to finalize the rules, get Planning and Zoning Board review and collect public comment. The moratorium is set to expire in December. The next regular meeting is Oct. 27.

Mason County, Kentucky

Mason County’s Fiscal Court voted unanimously Oct. 13 to approve a development contract for a Meta hyperscale data center and technology campus, which Judge Executive Owen McNeil called one of the greatest economic opportunities for the region.

McNeil said the initial investment would be in the neighborhood of $15 billion. The proposal covered multiple motions affecting the county’s roads department and other infrastructure, with paperwork detailing costs and projected revenue for each construction phase. County leaders said Meta would pay for all property costs, bonds and materials used to build the campus.

McNeil said the project would bring 2,000 construction and trade jobs and 400 permanent jobs, with revenue going toward lowering residents’ taxes and supporting the sheriff’s office and fire department. Work is set to begin within three years of the approval.

Concord Township, Pennsylvania

Concord Township closed its public hearing on a data center ordinance Wednesday night, and council could adopt it at its Nov. 4 meeting once a date is advertised.

Concord closes data center ordinance hearing - ChaddsFordLive.com

Concord Township closed its data center ordinance hearing Wednesday night and will soon be advertising a date for the ordinance adoption.

Chadds Ford LiveRich Schwartzman

The ordinance would allow data centers only as a conditional use in the L-I Zoning District, on lots of at least 12 acres. Buildings would be capped at 35 feet, or 45 feet if set back an additional 50 feet. Data centers could be energized only by a regional electrical utility, with on-site energy systems barred except for emergency backup power.

Diesel generators would be limited to backup use, must meet EPA standards, and could be tested only yearly, with tests at least six months apart, a rule township solicitor Hugh Donaghue said prevents operators from testing on Dec. 31 and again Jan. 1. An operator seeking an alternative to diesel would need a plan certified by a professional engineer, subject to township review and denial.

Rutherford County, Tennessee

Rutherford County’s Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously Oct. 12 to recommend a 12-month moratorium on new data center development, moving the proposal toward consideration by county officials.

The pause would give leaders time to study the effects of data centers and write regulations before any new application advances. Residents at the public hearing in the Murfreesboro town square supported the moratorium, and some asked for a permanent ban. Commissioner Michael Shirley questioned what a moratorium adds, saying it could offer a false sense of security because Planned Unit Development review already lets the commission consider project conditions.

The proposal must now move through the county’s review process before a final decision. The source lists the next meeting on the moratorium as Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Rutherford County Historical Courthouse.

Guildford County, North Carolina

Guilford County commissioners will consider a 180-day moratorium on data center development applications and approvals at a Thursday night meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Old County Courthouse.

If adopted, the pause would run until April 12, 2027. During that time, leaders would research the impacts of data centers on public health, the environment and land infrastructure, consult experts and develop regulations for future projects.

Guilford is the latest Triad government to weigh a pause. Several nearby jurisdictions, including Surry and Davie counties, Greensboro and Mount Airy, have moratoriums in effect, Davidson County will consider one next week, and Forsyth and Stokes counties rejected theirs.

📱 Social Buzz

Episode Title: Taking Data Centers to Court w/ Martha Dark

Episode: Tech Won't Save Us

Listen: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/www.buzzsprout.com/1004689/episodes/19959136-taking-data-centers-to-court-w-martha-dark.mp3

Episode Title: Policy group calls for data center power studies, tax break reviews-4820245-2026-10-15 12:02:21-1f99c787-a714050272ce9480

Episode: The Douglas County Sentinel

Listen: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL6452929215.mp3

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