Data Centers | March 24, 2026
Three moratoriums pass in a single night as Baltimore, Boone, and Washington County all freeze data center development; a Jackson County judge weighs Independence residents' referendum fight over the $100 billion Nebius project. READ MORE.
At A Glance 🔽
- Baltimore City Council introduces a one-year moratorium on large data center construction,
- Boone, NC town council unanimously approves a one-year moratorium on data centers and crypto mining.
- Washington County, TN commissioners approves a one-year moratorium effective immediately through June 30, 2027.
- Independence, MO judge maintains hold on referendum deadlines; residents have collected 2,200 of 3,700 required signatures.
- El Paso holds its first data center policy meeting at Don Haskins Rec Center.
- Archbald, PA postpones second hearing on 18-building Provident Realty campus after newspaper fails to publish required notice.
- Kokomo, IN Common Council approves annexation and rezoning of 746 acres with one dissenting vote.
- Clarksdale, MS rezones 648 acres from commercial/agricultural to light industrial for a potential hyperscale project.
BALTIMORE
Maryland
Baltimore City Council introduced legislation for a one-year pause on large data center construction, citing concerns about rising utility costs for residents.
Today, I am introducing a 1-year moratorium on data centers in Baltimore.
— Zeke Cohen (@Zeke_Cohen) March 23, 2026
Allowing this technology to come to our city without understanding the environmental impacts on our air and water would be a slap in the face of all Baltimoreans. Our partners in Annapolis have done good… pic.twitter.com/EDKNFPWln8
An informational hearing will precede the final council vote.
Moratorium on Construction of New Data Centers - Co-Location and Generation Contingency
BOONE
North Carolina
Boone Town Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations within town limits Monday night. Mayor Dalton George said the pause gives officials time to examine potential environmental and economic impacts.
Watauga County commissioners separately agreed to hold a public hearing on a potential county-wide moratorium, scheduled for April 21. Several other North Carolina municipalities have enacted similar measures as data center interest grows in the region.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Tennessee
Washington County commissioners approved Monday night a one-year moratorium on the construction, operation, and permitting of data centers, including cryptocurrency mines. The resolution runs through June 30, 2027, and took effect immediately. Commissioners said the pause will give them time to update county regulations to address the emerging technology.
INDEPENDENCE
Missouri
Dane Artisola
Continues from March 11, 2026 Coverage.
A Jackson County judge heard arguments Monday over a community referendum petition challenging tax abatements for Nebius's proposed $100 billion AI data center. The Independence City Council approved the abatements on March 2, and the city blocked the referendum attempt, prompting residents to sue.
Residents have collected 2,200 of the required 3,700 signatures. Judge Jennifer M. Phillips maintained a temporary hold on referendum deadlines while the case proceeds, with a final decision expected by week's end.
EL PASO
Texas
City of El Paso
A crowd packed Don Haskins Recreational Center for El Paso's first community meeting on data center policy, with attendees overflowing into the hallway. The City Council directed the initiative to build a comprehensive policy framework, using three discussion tables on benefits, concerns, and desired characteristics.
Residents raised environmental worries about water and electricity consumption in the desert. City officials remained noncommittal about whether new policy would apply to the already-advancing Meta AI data center project.
📆 Five additional community meetings are scheduled through April 8.
- Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at the Veterans Recreation Center (5301 Salem Dr.)
- Thursday, March 26, 2026 at the Pavo Real Recreation Center (9301 Alameda Ave.)
- Monday, March 30, 2026 at the Beast Urban Recreation Center (13501 Jason Crandall Dr.)
- Thursday, April 2, 2026 at the Chamizal Community Center (2119 Cypress Ave.)
- Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at the Wayne Thornton Community Center (3134 Jefferson Ave.)
ARCHBALD
Pennsylvania
Dane ArtisolaContinues from March 11, 2026 Coverage.
Archbald postponed its second public hearing on Provident Realty Advisors' 18-building data center campus Monday night after The Times-Tribune failed to publish required public notices. At least 150 residents attended the roughly three-minute meeting at Valley View High School's auditorium.
Baxtel
The Dallas-based developer proposes up to 18 two-story data centers, each up to 90 feet tall with a 154,850-square-foot footprint, across about 400 acres between Business Route 6 and Eynon Jermyn Road. During the first hearing in February, Provident representatives declined to answer questions on water and electricity needs. The developer's table sat empty Monday. No new hearing date was announced. Six separate data center campuses totaling over 50 buildings are now proposed in Archbald.
KOKOMO
Indiana
Kokomo Common Council approved two ordinances to annex and rezone 746 acres of formerly unincorporated Howard County on Monday night.
Council Member Crystal Sanburn stated before the vote that no specific use or development has been proposed, approved, or formally discussed for the area. More than a dozen residents shared concerns about potential industrial impacts.
CLARKSDALE
Mississippi
https://www.facebook.com/cityofclarksdale/videos/1501468631398073
Clarksdale's Board of Mayor and Commissioners approved a motion to rezone a 648-acre tract from commercial/agricultural to light industrial use. The proposed site sits between the Sunflower River, U.S. 278, Tallahatchie Street, and the Roundyard neighborhood. The city describes the project as a potential "multi-billion-dollar investment" related to hyperscale data center construction.
No formal development application has been filed and no developer has been named. The rezoning does not approve construction; it clears the way for a future application.
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