Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // August 24 - 26, 2026

📋 This Week's Decisions

Just Passed ✔️

Moratoriums Approved

• Bellevue, WI: The Village Board unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development, effective through August 2027, after a public hearing where residents cited water supply, electricity costs and pollution concerns.
• Madison County, AR: The Quorum Court unanimously approved a three-year moratorium on data center development, taking immediate effect under an emergency clause and running through Aug. 31, 2029, to give the county time to study costs and benefits.
• Westover, AL: City Council unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on data center development amid scrutiny of a proposed 437-acre project near Cheshire Drive and questions over how the site's rezoning and by-right approval came about.
• Garfield Township, MI: The township unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining, extendable to 18 months, halting a pending proposal from Illinois developer Tom Cervenka to repurpose a Cass Road building as a small data center. Officials said they structured the pause carefully after watching other Michigan communities face legal challenges to similar measures.
• Orangetown, NY: The Town Board approved a six-month moratorium on new data center and battery storage applications following strong opposition, though the pause doesn't apply to DataBank's ongoing expansion review, which is already undergoing a separate environmental impact study.
• Durham, NC: County commissioners approved a nine-month moratorium in a 4-1 vote, running through May 2027 and limiting projects over 100,000 square feet while exempting smaller closed-loop cooling facilities, coordinating with the city's parallel pause.
• Anniston, AL: The city adopted a resolution establishing a 12-month moratorium on permitting, licensing and developing data centers, giving the planning commission six months to study utility demand, cooling systems and stormwater impacts.
• Palm Springs, CA: City Council unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on large-scale data centers, running through Oct. 10, following similar pauses in nearby Desert Hot Springs, Indio and Coachella.

Regulations Passed

• Henry County, VA: Supervisors amended the zoning ordinance to create a new Data Center District requiring rezoning and a special use permit, with 1,000-foot setbacks from non-industrial properties, a 50 dBA noise cap, and a ban on evaporative cooling and cooling towers.
• Jackson, NJ: The Township Council voted 4-1 to ban data centers, becoming the 38th New Jersey municipality to do so and the second in Ocean County this week alone, following Stafford Township.

Projects Denied/Withdrawn

• Calvert Cliffs, MD: Amazon Web Services withdrew its proposal for a roughly 2.4 million-square-foot data center campus at the nuclear power plant site, following the primary defeat of three incumbent commissioners who had backed the project. The county is now weighing a six-month moratorium regardless, since opponents note a separate developer has proposed a nearby facility.
• Pataskala, OH: City Council unanimously rejected Aligned Data Centers' site plan for a proposed 200-megawatt campus over unresolved power-supply questions. The issue now heads to a November ballot measure deciding whether large data centers are allowed in Pataskala and Granville.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Salem Township, PA: Supervisors were set to decide Wednesday on expanding the township's data center overlay zone for Glenbrook Group's proposed $1.4 billion, 39-building "Salem 3" campus, the largest of three data center developments taking shape in the township alongside existing Amazon and QTS projects.
• Salix, IA: City Council voted 3-2 against a one-year moratorium on data center development, clearing the way for a proposed Google project despite protests that led the mayor to call in police. The city has already annexed 900 acres for the project, though a separate legal challenge from Woodbury County over the annexation remains pending.
• Doña Ana County, NM: The New Mexico Supreme Court issued two setbacks to Oracle's Project Jupiter data center, pausing the air-permitting process and canceling a scheduled Sept. 14 hearing while challenges over emergency water authorization and power-supply disclosure proceed.
• Ozark, MO: The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously passed a recommendation for new data center regulations, despite no current proposals for such facilities in the city, requiring a conditional use permit, an environmental impact report and noise compliance. The recommendation now heads to the Board of Aldermen, which will hold two hearings before a final vote.
• Pinal County, AZ: Residents are opposing the proposed 3,300-acre La Osa Data Center near Eloy and Picacho Peak ahead of a Board of Supervisors zoning vote, even after developer Vermaland scaled the project down from 59 to 11 buildings and set aside nearly 1,000 acres for open space.
• Eastport, ME: The Planning Board unanimously recommended a permanent ban on data centers across all zoning districts, as DeepGreen Holdings separately pursues a federal permit for a subsea AI data center in the Bay of Fundy. The council takes up the recommendation at a special meeting Sept. 9.
• Lubbock, TX: City Council formally accepted a citizen petition seeking an 18-month moratorium on high-water and high-energy data centers, triggering a public hearing Sept. 8; officials have raised doubts about whether the pause's length complies with state law.
• DeSoto County, FL: Residents got a pitch for data center development from Loudoun County, Virginia's Buddy Rizer at an invite-only meeting organized by the developer behind a proposed AI data center near Arcadia, though residents said their water and noise questions remain unanswered.
• Florida: The Public Service Commission is weighing whether Duke Energy's proposal adequately shields ratepayers from data center costs, in the first test of Senate Bill 484's requirement that large-load customers bear their own full cost of service; consumer advocates say Duke's plan leaves customers exposed if projects underperform.
• Kokomo, IN: The Plan Commission voted 5-1 to support a zoning amendment allowing data centers on industrial land, with setbacks of 200 feet from residential districts; the Common Council introduces the ordinance Aug. 31 and votes in September.
• Martin County, FL: Commissioners voted 4-1 to place a discussion of a potential data center moratorium on their next meeting agenda, after residents urged the board to act before hyperscale projects advance.
• Tallahassee, FL: Commissioners rejected a proposal to explicitly ban AI data centers in a 3-2 vote, though officials said existing land development rules already prevent such facilities from locating in the city without a future zoning vote to allow them.
• Spartanburg County, SC: A proposed data center at 300 Jones Road is heading to the county's Board of Zoning Appeals after planning staff twice rejected developer Lightstone Group's application, even as the county's data center moratorium remains pending.
• Doylestown Township, PA supervisors unanimously advanced a proposed ordinance establishing zoning rules for data centers as conditional uses in light-industrial districts, with adoption possible in October.
• Cumberland, RI: The Town Council advanced a proposed zoning ordinance restricting data centers by referring it to a subcommittee for review ahead of a future public hearing.
• Wisconsin data centers are emerging as a political issue ahead of November's Senate election, with 76% of polled residents saying costs outweigh benefits, even though only 5% rank it as their top concern.
• Davidson County, NC commissioners voted against a six-month moratorium on new data center applications after extended debate, with leaders saying they'll gather more information before deciding next steps.
• Cedar Rapids, IA is seeing an influx of data center workers strain the local housing market, with rents up 10 to 35% and homes selling in an average of five days as the mayor pushes incentives for new home construction.

📅 Upcoming Meetings

• Kokomo, IN: Common Council introduces the zoning ordinance, Aug. 31.
• Lubbock, TX: Public hearing on the citizen petition, Sept. 8.
• Eastport, ME: Special council meeting on the Planning Board's ban recommendation, Sept. 9.
• Doylestown Township, PA: Possible ordinance adoption, October.

👀 In case you missed it...

Read something interesting from this weekly briefing? You can read more about it below.

Data Centers: Daily Notes | August 27, 2026

Martin County commissioners voted 4–1 to add a moratorium discussion to their next agenda; Tallahassee commissioners rejected a proposed AI data center ban; Anniston adopted a 12‑month moratorium; Cedar Rapids; Palm Springs; Eastport; Garfield Township. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | August 26, 2026

Florida’s Public Service Commission is reviewing Duke Energy’s first proposal under Senate Bill 484; Henry County adopted a new Data Center District ordinance; Jackson Township Council voted 4‑1 to ban data centers; Pinal County; Garfield Township; Orangetown; Pataskala; Durham; Lubbock. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | August 25, 2026

Davidson County voted against moratorium; Madison County approved a 3-year moratorium; Ozark unanimously recommended data center regulations; DeSoto County; Doña Ana County; Westover; Wisconsin. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | August 24, 2026

Salem Township supervisors will vote on expanding the data center overlay zone; Kokomo’s Plan Commission backed a zoning amendment; Salix’s City Council rejected a moratorium; Spartanburg County, Calvert Cliffs; Doylestown Township; Bellevue; Cumberland. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

🌟 Most Clicked Link

Exec. Order Strict on Data Center Developers in Pennsylvania

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