Data Centers: Daily Notes | October 19, 2026

Boulder, Nevada

Boulder City voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to make data centers an approved land use in the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area, outside the Multi-species Habitat Conservation Easement.

Data Centers | Boulder City, NV - Official Website

Like many communities nationwide, Boulder City has received an application for a data center to be located southwest of I-11 and US-93. Seperately, there is a ballot issue on land use for data centers in a different portion of the City - that is addressed at www.bcnv.org/elections) We hope this page will provide residents and neighbors with factual information and answers to their questions.

Boulder City NV Home pageGovernment Websites by CivicPlus®

The City Council placed the measure on the ballot Feb. 24 and invited resident volunteers to write the arguments for and against it. Supporters say every proposal would still go through full land-use and leasing review, and argue the city needs new revenue as its subsidized solar leases near expiration. Opponents point out that the city has never rejected an energy project lease, and warn of strain on regional power infrastructure, shared water supplies, and desert tortoise habitat.

Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin

The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission unanimously approved revised site plans for Microsoft’s data center at 12023 Durand Ave., which cut the number of buildings from nine to seven while growing the project to 5,878,080 square feet.

The original design covered 5.2 million square feet, and Community Development Director Samuel Schultz said the total will likely keep shifting as Microsoft refines its plans. The updated layout includes 10 parking lots, internal roads, stormwater ponds, sound walls, and perimeter security fencing. Microsoft said the changes are meant to speed up development and access the added capacity sooner, not scale back its plans. The commission also asked Microsoft to add sound mitigation along the project’s west side, following a July lawsuit from Sturtevant residents over data center noise. The modifications now go to the Village Council, which was scheduled to take them up Oct. 19 at 6 p.m.

Gilroy, California

Gilroy City Council will consider extending its temporary data center moratorium on Monday, with city staff expected to recommend adding 10 months and 15 days to the pause.

The moratorium followed community pushback over water, power, noise, and transparency. Many residents say they never had a chance to weigh in on data center projects and point to the $2 billion Amazon Web Services facility already under construction. That project sits on 56 acres zoned for heavy industrial use and would not be affected by the council’s decision. The meeting starts at 6 p.m., and residents can comment in person or online.

Dover, Delaware

Dover City Council approved an 18-month moratorium on AI data center applications at its Oct. 12 meeting, wrapping up about two months of discussion and deliberation.

Dover passes temporary data center ban

Dover City Council passes a moratorium on AI data centers within city limits.

Delaware Public MediaIsreal Hale

The pause is meant to keep data centers from putting undue strain on the city’s power infrastructure and to head off any rate increases that strain could cause. Councilwoman Donyale Hall, who brought the measure forward, described it as a temporary and responsible step to protect residents, businesses, utility customers, and future economic development while the city sets clear standards. During the pause, city staff will study whether Dover’s grid and infrastructure can handle the added load of a data center, and the city will run surveys to gauge how residents feel about the facilities.

In case you missed it:

Data Center Moratorium: Reasons, Impacts, and State Policies

Explore the reasoning behind a data center moratorium, its impact to the communities and data center developers, and some states with moratorium bills.

Strisker - Short-Term Rental and Data Center regulationsEm Dela Cruz

Dade City, Florida

Dade City commissioners approved the first reading of a 12-month moratorium on new data center development within city limits, citing concerns over groundwater and electrical infrastructure.

Dade City Weighs 12-Month Data Center Moratorium

Dade City just took its first step toward banning new data centers for a year.

HoodlineJames Rodriguez

If adopted on second reading, the pause would block the submission and acceptance of building permits, site plans, development orders, special exception uses, rezonings, and comprehensive plan amendments tied to data centers. Commissioner Kristin Church raised concerns about water use, and Commissioner Scott Black said the city would need to conserve water if data centers came in. The pause gives the city time to decide whether data centers belong in Dade City and to update its comprehensive plan, land development code, and code of ordinances, and it could be lifted early depending on what that review finds.

Sioux County, Iowa

The Sioux County Board of Supervisors advanced its proposed data center ordinance on a 4-1 vote at its second reading, setting up a final reading on Oct. 27.

Supervisor Dan Altena again cast the lone no vote, while John Degen, Craig Hoftyzer, Jerry Muilenburg and Carl Vande Weerd voted in favor. If the ordinance passes, it takes effect upon publication and the county’s moratorium will be lifted. Zoning director Shane Walter said the language hasn’t changed since the first reading, and any edits would have to go back to the zoning commission for review. The county will set a separate fine schedule for violations, and Vande Weerd said the ordinance also lets the county shut down a data center that falls out of compliance.

South Annville Township, Pennsylvania

South Annville Township supervisors passed Ordinance #10-14-26 to regulate data centers, choosing to pass it now and refine it later as regulations shift.

The board added a decommissioning plan and a community benefits agreement but kept setbacks and noise limits below what a resident and the planning commission requested, citing the solicitor’s advice on what the township can legally defend. Supervisors said they wanted the ordinance on the books before another data center proposal arrives. The board next meets Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Emporia, Kansas

Emporia city leaders pledged that any development agreement for the proposed digital campus would be posted for 21 days of public review before a commission vote.

Mayor Becky Smith, Commissioner Tammy Ogle, and City Manager Trey Cocking laid out conditions they want any operator to meet, including hundreds of permanent on-site jobs, financial guarantees, protection against utility cost increases, and community benefits from the start. They also floated a voluntary above-market buyout for property owners within 500 feet, along with plans for dust, noise, roads, stormwater, and decommissioning.

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