Data Centers | March 18, 2026
Lee County votes 6-0 to draft a fracking moratorium over a gas-powered data center rumor; hundreds pack a Missouri gym to fight two rezoning proposals. READ MORE.
At A Glance 🔽
- Lee County, NC commissioners approved to draft a fracking moratorium after a rumored gas-powered AI data center sparks the county's largest public turnout in five years.
- Franklin County, MO residents pack a high school gym to oppose rezoning agricultural land for Gateway Digital Campus and Beltline Energy projects.
- El Monte, CA council reconvenes Wednesday to evaluate data center impacts after last week's meeting ended in a verbal altercation; residents pushing for a moratorium.
- Peach Bottom, PA advances a data center ordinance at its fourth workshop since January.
- Phoenix, AZ neighbors petition to block a 1-million-square-foot Menlo Equities data center campus already under construction.
- Imperial County, CA schedules a March 25 town hall on its proposed data center project.
- Urbana, OH council creates a data center oversight committee with community-wide representation; first meeting set for March 31.
LEE COUNTY, North Carolina
Lee County commissioners approved to direct county staff to draft moratorium language on fracking, following a capacity crowd at the McSwain Center that marked the highest attendance at a commissioners' meeting in at least five years.
The controversy centers on Deep River Data, a company that reportedly sought to access natural gas from Butler Well No. 3, a test well drilled in the late 1990s near the Cumnock community, to power an AI operation. Commissioners are expected to review the first draft at an April 6 meeting.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Missouri
Dane Artisola
Franklin County was featured in the March 16 daily notes. The planning and zoning hearing took place Tuesday night.
Hundreds filled a Union High School gymnasium Tuesday to weigh in on two proposed data center projects, Gateway Digital Campus and Beltline Energy, both of which would require the county to rezone agricultural land for industrial use.
Developers described the projects as one of the largest economic opportunities in Franklin County history. One of the proposed sites borders the Shaw Nature Reserve, while the other sits near the Meramec River, and both involve hundreds of acres. Tuesday's recommendation by the planning and zoning commission is not final; the projects will go before the county commission for a decision.
EL MONTE, California
El Monte's City Council will reconvene Wednesday to evaluate data center development impacts after last week's meeting was cut short by a verbal altercation. Residents are pushing for a moratorium, and the council had called a special meeting to discuss recent debates over proposed data centers in the city.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at El Monte City Hall.
PEACH BOTTOM, Pennsylvania
Peach Bottom Township held its fourth workshop since January on an ordinance to regulate data center development, even though no formal proposal has been submitted. The effort was sparked by potential $5 billion data center on the Calpine York 2 Energy Center property, which is already zoned for industrial use.
Residents packed the workshop, raising questions about energy consumption, environmental monitoring, and fire safety. Local firefighters said they lack the equipment to respond to a data center emergency, and the current draft would require developers to supply training and equipment to local responders. The ordinance also addresses baseline well testing to detect future contamination. The planning commission voted to advance the ordinance for municipal and county review, with the final version potentially in place by late summer.
Data Center Ordinance – Reference Materials
PHOENIX, Arizona
Neighbors in Ahwatukee are fighting a five-building, 1-million-square-foot data center campus by California-based Menlo Equities on 40.6 acres at 48th Street and Thistle Landing Drive, where construction has already begun.
A change.org petition has gathered 895 signatures asking the city to block data centers.
IMPERIAL COUNTY, California
Eddie Lopez
Imperial County has scheduled a public town hall for March 25 to address community questions about the proposed Imperial Data Center Project. The meeting will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the County Administration Building Board Chambers in El Centro.
The agenda includes a county status update, a developer presentation, and 90 minutes of public comment. Officials plan to release a consolidated, redacted PDF of all comments submitted through their online portal by Friday.
Please note that this form is made to submit responses or input on the specific proposed Imperial Data Center project.
URBANA, Ohio
Urbana City Council recently passed a resolution last March 3 to impose a temporary moratorium on data center for a year to allow time for city officials to investigate data center impacts.
Urbana City Council approved the creation of a data center oversight committee to study how a proposed facility could affect utilities, infrastructure, and environmental factors in the city and Champaign County.
The committee will bring together city leadership, Champaign County Commissioners, local schools, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, Vancrest, and members of the public. An organizational meeting is set for March 31 at 6 p.m.
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