Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // April 13-17, 2026

📋 This Week's Decisions

Federal Legislation

• U.S. (Ohio): Rep. Greg Landsman introduced the No Harm Data Center Act, requiring data centers over 50 MW to cover the full cost of new energy infrastructure. The bill prohibits elected officials from signing NDAs with developers, bars utilities from shifting data center costs to other consumers, and mandates a study of environmental impacts.

State Legislation

• Maine: The legislature passed the first statewide moratorium on large data centers, banning facilities over 20 MW through November 2027. The moratorium creates a council to evaluate data center costs on residents.
• Pennsylvania: The House passed HB 2150 (annual reporting on electricity, water, and greenhouse gas emissions) and HB 2151 (directing the Local Government Commission to develop a model zoning ordinance for municipalities). Both head to the Senate.
• Oklahoma: The House Energy Committee approved an amendment to SB 259 requiring data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems to receive a groundwater permit.
• Kentucky: Lawmakers failed to pass data center regulations after provisions were stripped from a bill on the session's final day. HB 593 had passed the House and would have required data centers to cover infrastructure costs and imposed a $75,000 application fee. Its language was briefly revived in SB 197 before being removed in committee.
• Virginia: Gov. Spanberger amended SB 253 and HB 1393, removing the cost-shift mechanism that would have placed capacity and infrastructure costs on high-load users. The governor replaced it with a directive for the State Corporation Commission to be "mindful" of not passing costs onto other customers. The legislature returns April 22 to review the changes.
• North Carolina: Gov. Josh Stein called for eliminating data center subsidies, saying facilities need to pay their way. The state is forgoing roughly $50M/year in revenue from exemptions created 20 years ago.
• New York: Sen. Elizabeth Krueger introduced S.9144, a three-year statewide moratorium on new data center developments while requiring a study of water, electricity, emissions, and infrastructure impacts.
• Minnesota: Lawmakers took up a bill requiring full environmental studies and permitting for data centers. A separate NDA ban has stalled in the House. The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has six pending lawsuits against data center projects.
• Washington: The Utilities and Transportation Commission announced an April 27 workshop to study how utilities should handle large new power demands from data centers. The review is expected to last six to eight months.

Moratoriums Approved

• Bangor, ME: City Council passed a six-month freeze on data center development. The council can extend it beyond 180 days.
• Oakley, CA: City Council voted to impose a 45-day moratorium, the first Bay Area city to temporarily ban data centers. Under state law, it can be extended to two years. PG&E has received applications representing 7.2 GW of new data center demand across its service area.
• Sunbury, OH: City Council passed a moratorium effective until January 2027, pausing a $2B Amazon data center project on 241 acres. The project is part of Amazon's $7.8B expansion in central Ohio.
• New Buffalo Township, MI: Approved a one-year moratorium at a special meeting after a 114-acre parcel near Whittaker Woods was purchased by an entity tied to the "Project Maize" data center in Michigan City.

Bans

• Phillipsburg, NJ: Town Council adopted an ordinance banning data centers in all zoning districts. Existing facilities may continue as nonconforming uses but cannot expand.
• Danby, NY: The town banned data centers and cryptocurrency mines through zoning revisions, defining a data center as any facility using half a megawatt-hour or more per day. Danby also passed a resolution supporting New York's statewide moratorium bill.

Regulations Passed

• Cochise County, AZ: Supervisors adopted an ordinance defining data centers and requiring developers to file comprehensive proposals including site plans, infrastructure impacts, noise studies, and water use plans. Applications will be publicly accessible.
• Hanover Township, PA: Passed an ordinance establishing requirements for location, noise, water usage, power demand, and emergency management.
• Olyphant, PA: Council rejected a data center zoning amendment, then introduced a curative amendment giving the borough 180 days to draft stronger rules. The curative amendment protects Olyphant from developer challenges while officials revise the ordinance.

Projects Denied or Delayed

• Gaines Township, MI: The planning commission tabled Microsoft's rezoning request for a 104-acre campus after hours of public comment. Microsoft presented commitments including a 65 dB noise cap, 150-foot setbacks, and no local groundwater use.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Colorado: Denver's moratorium has triggered statewide debate. The City Council's planning committee approved a measure to form a working group on zoning, energy, water, and ratepayer protections. The full council is expected to vote on a one-year moratorium this spring. First reading expected April 20; second reading and public hearing likely May 18.
• DeKalb County, IN: The Plan Commission recommended a six-month moratorium to the county commissioners. Without one, any data center that applies while the ordinance is being drafted would be grandfathered in with no regulations. County commissioners vote April 13.
• Ravenna, OH: The planning committee advanced a year-long moratorium after nearly 100 residents packed the council chambers. A special council meeting to vote is set for April 20.
• Smithfield, RI: The Planning Board advanced a zoning amendment that would define and ban data centers for at least two years. The Town Council takes it up May 5.
• Harford County, MD: A councilman announced plans to introduce moratorium legislation. The county executive said data centers aren't currently allowed, but the councilman cited reports of developer interest in local land.
• Sanford, NC: Council spent 90 minutes discussing draft data center rules modeled after Loudoun County, VA and Phoenix/Marana, AZ ordinances. Key provisions include 500-foot setbacks, 100-foot landscape buffers, 75-foot height limits, 65 dB noise caps with $10,000 fines, and restriction to industrial zones. Public hearing April 21.
• West Rockhill, PA: Supervisors are considering a zoning ordinance requiring on-site solar and infrastructure improvements. Public hearing scheduled for April 15. An informal sketch plan for a 150,000-200,000 sq ft facility was reviewed last fall.
• Union Township, PA: Supervisors authorized sending a draft data center ordinance to the county planning department and township planning commission. The ordinance would limit data centers to industrial districts.
• Brentwood, MO: Aldermen held a public hearing on classifying data centers as conditional use in light industrial zoning, requiring a public hearing and resident notification before any facility is approved. Second reading and vote set for April 20.
• Botkins, OH: The village held a first reading on legislation to ban data centers as part of a zoning overhaul. Two more readings plus a zoning board review are needed.
• Michigan: A Michigan report found cost-causation policies could save households $99/year by 2030. The Synapse Energy Economics analysis examined what happens when data centers cover the costs of grid upgrades they create rather than spreading them to all ratepayers.

📅 Watch out for

• Ravenna, OH: Special council meeting to vote on year-long moratorium, April 20.
• Denver, CO: First reading of yearlong moratorium, April 20.
• Brentwood, MO: Second reading and vote on data center ordinance, April 20.
• Sanford, NC: Public hearing on draft data center regulations, April 21.
• Washington: UTC workshop on large-load power demands, April 27. Written comments due April 21.
• Virginia: Legislature returns to review governor's amendments, April 22.
• Birmingham, AL: Public hearing on data center ordinance, April 28.
• New Orleans, LA: Planning Commission zoning recommendation, April 28.
• Smithfield, RI: Town Council takes up data center ban, May 5.
• Denver, CO: Second reading and public hearing on moratorium, May 18.

📱 Social Finds

In case you missed it...

This week in the Data Center space.

Data Centers: Daily Notes | April 16, 2026

Kentucky strips data center regulations on session’s final day; Virginia governor weakens cost-shift bills; Oakley becomes first Bay Area city to ban data centers.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsDane Artisola

Data Centers: Daily Notes | April 15, 2026

Maine becomes first state to pass a data center moratorium; Ohio congressman files federal bill to make data centers pay for grid costs; New York proposes three-year statewide ban.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsDane Artisola

Data Centers: Daily Notes | April 14, 2026

Pennsylvania House passes two data center regulation bills; North Carolina governor calls for ending subsidies; Bangor ME unanimously bans data centers for six months.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsDane Artisola

Data Centers: Daily Notes | April 13, 2026

Colorado confronts data center moratorium and dueling state bills; Oklahoma committee demands closed-loop cooling for groundwater permits.

STRisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsDane Artisola

Social Listening📱: Twitter

STRisker’s Twitter Signal pulls real-time posts from officials, agencies, advocacy groups, and local influencers—so you see emerging sentiment and policy signals the moment they surface. Track conversations by place, people, and topics, then zero in on what actually matters.

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