Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // February 16-20, 2026

📋Just Passed

State Legislation

• Oklahoma: Two data center regulation bills advanced, including HB 3917 requiring large data centers to pay a surcharge during peak demand. A separate measure, HB 3724, would prohibit taxpayer-funded subsidies and require facilities to pay 100% of infrastructure upgrades.
• Florida: Two bills advanced out of the Senate Rules Committee and are headed to the Senate floor. The legislative push comes as hyperscale data center proposals emerge across Polk, Palm Beach, Martin, and Citrus counties with local governments largely unprepared, the state doesn't have an operating hyperscale facility yet.
  • SB 484 requires the Public Service Commission to create special rate structures ensuring data centers pay full infrastructure costs and bans NDAs blocking public disclosure.
  • SB 1118 would let local governments keep company location information confidential for up to 12 months.
• Maine: Rep. Melanie Sachs introduced a moratorium bill targeting data centers requiring 20 megawatts or more while a newly created council studies financial, environmental, and community impacts.
• Minnesota: Sen. Jen McEwen announced plans to introduce legislation for a two-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers following a rally at the State Capitol. Sen. Erin Maye Quade said she will reintroduce legislation to ban NDAs and eliminate tax exemptions.
• Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker called for a two-year moratorium on state tax incentives for data centers during his State of the State address, citing concerns about the energy grid and consumer costs.
• South Dakota: Senators rejected calls for a moratorium and mandatory setbacks on hyperscale data centers while opening the door for incentives paired with protections for water and electricity users.

Moratoriums Approved

• Eagan, MN: City Council unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on new data centers using more than 20 megawatts or located within 500 feet of homes, through February 17, 2027.
• Bulloch County, GA: County commissioners unanimously enacted two separate 90-day moratoriums on data centers, pausing Planned Unit Developments, all residential zonings, and any action on data centers.

Projects Approved

• Bessemer, AL: Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend rezoning an additional 914 acres from agricultural to light industrial use for the Project Marvel data center campus.
• Joplin, MO: City Council voted to annex and rezone a site where developer Jimmer Pinjuv has expressed interest in constructing a data center.
• Linn County, IA: County supervisors unanimously approved a new ordinance regulating future data centers in unincorporated areas following nearly seven months of development and public input. The ordinance creates separate zoning rules for small and large data centers.
• Columbiana, AL: City council voted unanimously to amend its zoning ordinance with new restrictions targeting future data centers, establishing 60-foot height limits, landscape buffers, equipment screening within 300 feet, and sound study requirements.

Projects Denied or Delayed

• San Marcos, TX: City Council rejected rezoning for a nearly 200-acre data center after a meeting that ran until 2 a.m. with dozens of residents opposing the plan. The company cannot reapply until August.
• Archbold, OH: Village Council tabled a moratorium discussion on hyperscale data centers, opting to gather more information.
• Marana, AZ: The Town of Marana determined that referendum petitions don't meet Arizona law requirements, ending residents' bid to challenge the Town Council's unanimous January 6 rezoning decision. Since the 30-day filing window has passed, residents cannot refile.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Tulsa, OK: City Council voted to direct the planning office to reevaluate zoning regulations for data centers, potentially upgrading the zoning code from Low-Impact Industrial to Industrial Moderate.
• Rice Township, PA: Township supervisors will hold a public hearing March 3 on proposed zoning amendments that would create some of the most comprehensive local data center regulations in the region, including mandatory 1,000-foot buffers from residential districts.
• El Paso, TX: City Council will discuss a comprehensive data center policy framework, authorizing the city manager to develop guidelines within 60 days including a "Hire El Paso First" provision, as Meta's $1.5 billion data center moves forward.
• Prince William County, VA: County supervisors collectively raised nearly $300,000 in campaign contributions from data center companies over the last six months of 2025. Only two supervisors accepted no data center contributions. All eight seats are up in 2027.
• Allen Park, MI: Solstice Data met with residents to discuss plans for a proposed 26-megawatt edge data center following a tense January planning commission hearing. A Change.org petition opposing AI data centers collected more than 1,500 signatures.
• Independence, MO: Residents packed the City Council meeting Monday night to weigh in on a $156 billion, 400-acre data center proposed by Nebius. On the table is an estimated $6.6 billion tax incentive package. City council is set to vote on the tax incentives on March 2.
• Metro Detroit, MI: At least five Metro Detroit communities have imposed moratoriums in the last two months as data center proposals crop up across Michigan. Communities are scrambling to review zoning ordinances.
• Bethlehem Township, PA: Board of Commissioners discussed proposed zoning text amendments that would define and regulate data centers, including a 300-foot minimum setback from any residential use.
• Fulton County, IN: More than 100 people packed a meeting expecting a vote on a proposed one-year moratorium but the vote was delayed by a procedural oversight. Under Indiana law, the proposal must first be properly certified and publicly advertised.
• Frederick, MD: May is the earliest that Frederick's Planning Commission could vote on a developer's proposal to allow data centers in the city.
• Dryden, NY: A resolution under consideration would ban the development of data centers. A public hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, possibly followed by a vote.
• Wisconsin: The Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism heard competing bills targeting data center secrecy and energy costs. SB 969 would impose a blanket ban on NDAs between data center companies and municipalities. SB 729 would classify data centers as "very large" electric power users.
• Southaven, MS: Roughly 300 people turned out for a Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality hearing on an operations permit for 41 turbines at xAI's Stanton Road site and every single speaker opposed it. The NAACP filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue xAI for alleged Clean Air Act violations.
• Athens-Clarke County, GA: County commissioners discussed tabling zoning code changes for data centers, with several attendees pushing to extend the existing moratorium adopted in December 2025, which expires March 6.
• Joliet, IL: Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra called on the city to become more transparent about a proposed 795-acre data center, saying "I want transparency for our residents, and I will accept nothing less." The project heads to the Plan Commission for a special meeting vote on March 5.
• New Kent County, VA: Planning Commission heard a presentation on draft regulations for a 1,800-acre technology overlay district. Data centers within the TOD would receive administrative conditional use permits with no public hearing for individual projects if the district is approved.
• Johnson City, TN: Commissioners will consider a $96,880 contract for a noise and vibration study aimed at shaping data center regulations before the city's current moratorium expires June 4.

📅 Watch out for

• Fulton County, IN: Moratorium vote expected next week after procedural delay.
• Independence, MO: City council vote on tax incentives scheduled for March 2.
• Rice Township, PA: Public hearing on proposed zoning amendments March 3 at 6:30 PM.
• Athens-Clarke County, GA: Decision on moratorium extension and zoning code changes at the March 3 regular session. Current moratorium expires March 6.
• Bessemer, AL: Rezoning recommendation now heads to Bessemer City Council for a final vote (date TBD).
• Joliet, IL: Plan Commission special meeting vote on March 5.
• Bulloch County, GA: Moratorium hearings scheduled for May 5.
• New Kent County, VA: Community meetings expected in March, with a planning commission hearing tentatively set for May or June.
• Johnson City, TN: Moratorium expires June 4; noise study findings expected by late spring.

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