Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // July 20 - July 24, 2026

📋 This Week's Decisions

✔️Just Passed

State Legislation

• Pennsylvania: Lawmakers passed a single data center measure as part of this month's $50.8 billion budget deal, requiring facilities using more than 10 megawatts annually to disclose energy and water usage, while leaving in place a sales tax exemption projected to cost the state $2 billion by mid-2031. Other bills to bar data centers from opportunity-zone tax breaks or let localities impose pauses didn't reach the governor's desk.

Moratoriums Approved

• Brookhaven, NY: Officials unanimously approved an 18-month moratorium on new data center applications after residents packed a hearing to raise concerns about energy, water and community impacts. No applications are currently pending.

Regulations Passed

• El Paso, TX: City Council approved a Data Center Policy Framework after nearly six months of research and public engagement, requiring future hyperscale projects to obtain a Special Permit with public hearings, setting enhanced environmental standards, and eliminating local economic incentives for future projects.
• Coffee County, TN: Commissioners unanimously passed a zoning amendment, 16-0, restricting future data centers to the county's industrial district and closing a loophole that could have allowed them in agricultural zones.
• Pocono Township, PA: Commissioners unanimously approved amendments eliminating the township's six-parcel data center overlay district, instead allowing data centers as conditional uses within the industrial zoning district. Officials said the change strengthens resident protections while preserving oversight through the conditional-use process.
• Emporia, KS: The City Commission approved three ordinances establishing a digital infrastructure district and zoning protections for future data center development, after a contentious meeting that drew more than 30 speakers. Commissioners declined to act on a citizen petition to prohibit data centers outright, meaning it could still reach the November ballot if they don't approve it within the required timeframe.

Projects Approved

• Pittsylvania County, VA: The Board of Supervisors voted to approve a resolution supporting a $100 billion data center campus at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill, spearheaded by developer STACK Infrastructure. The roughly 2,990-acre project is expected to unfold over 15 to 30 years; some residents urged the county to slow down and fold it into broader comprehensive planning.

Projects Denied/Withdrawn

• New Mexico: Regulators rejected a proposed 17-mile natural gas pipeline that would have supplied Oracle's 2.5-gigawatt Project Jupiter campus, citing water use, emissions and limited state revenue. It's the second denial for the project, which Oracle says remains on schedule despite the setback.
• El Segundo, CA: Developer Eight Form withdrew its application for a data center that would have replaced a 15-year-old Hyatt Place hotel, at the close of a contentious three-hour Planning Commission hearing, following opposition over the project's electricity demand.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Boulder City, NV: Reporting revealed federal land managers approved the city's contested data center by amending an existing 2023 solar farm permit, bypassing new public review, a move a former national BLM policy chief called unprecedented. The city is now seeking a construction stay alongside its appeal to the Interior Board of Appeals.
• Stokes County, NC: Commissioners voted against a proposed moratorium at a standing-room-only meeting, rejecting the planning board's recommendation. Days later, Engineered Land Solutions refiled its rezoning application for Project Delta, this time addressing resident concerns on noise, generators, cooling, water infrastructure and buffer areas.
• Kansas City, MO: Officials are reviewing a proposal for a 20-story downtown data center that would redevelop the historic Western Newspaper Union building, drawing both regulatory scrutiny and strong neighborhood opposition over water demand and historic preservation; more than 80 people attended a public meeting against it. The Planning Commission takes it up Aug. 5.
• Mercer County, KY: The Planning and Zoning Board held a public hearing on a proposed data center ordinance as a dispute continues over a hyperscale project near Burgin, which is separately seeking to annex more than 1,000 acres for the development over neighboring Harrodsburg's water-supply objections.
• Hall County, TX: QTS Data Centers and Lancium are planning a hyperscale campus of up to 11 buildings across 465 acres that would self-fund its energy infrastructure using solar, battery storage and closed-loop cooling, drawing over $10 billion in investment.
• Franklin County, VA: Crusoe is reportedly considering a 50-100 megawatt AI data center, "Project Flash," at the county-owned Summit View Business Park, though neither party has publicly confirmed the project.
• Russell, KY: Rubix Data Centers is proposing an $8 billion to $12 billion campus at the former AK Steel mill site with up to 2 gigawatts of computing capacity, enough to consume more than 10% of Kentucky's peak summer electricity production; the project is expected to use an estimated 55 million gallons of water annually.
• Vicksburg, MS: Residents rallied against a proposed Amazon data center in nearby Warren County, citing noise, pollution and its proximity to an elementary school, amid growing scrutiny of data centers statewide after Jackson's recent moratorium.
• Detroit, MI: City Council approved a resolution opposing unrestricted use of the city's water resources for cooling AI data centers, calling for monitoring and consumption safeguards as the Planning Commission develops a Detroit-specific regulatory framework. The mayor hasn't decided whether to act on the council's earlier request for a two-year moratorium.
• Limerick Township, PA: Residents continued pushing back against a proposed eight-building, 2.8 million-square-foot data center campus with 126 backup generators, citing water use and noise; officials said construction wouldn't begin for about two years even if approved.
• Sunbury, OH: City Council certified a citizen-led charter amendment for the Nov. 3 ballot that would cap data center peak load at 25 megawatts, potentially blocking a planned $2 billion Amazon campus; organizers gathered well over the signatures needed to qualify.
• Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said lawmakers could codify parts of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed data center responsibility pledge, including requirements for developers to cover their own energy costs and protect water resources, when lawmakers return from summer break.
• Spokane County, WA commissioners are proposing a nine-month moratorium on new data center building permits after utility provider Avista paused processing requests for a proposed 500-megawatt facility.
• Dalton, GA residents are organizing to push for a moratorium after mapping showed Dalton has the highest number of documented data centers in the region, though county officials don't see an immediate need for one.
• Rockford, IL officials proposed a moratorium on new data center development and referred it to the Code and Regulation Committee, amid ongoing debate over a possible Monarch Energy project.
• Lakeland, FL commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on first reading, with a second and final reading set for Aug. 3.
• Loudoun County, VA asked state regulators to suspend their final order approving a Dominion Energy transmission line through Ashburn and Sterling, citing "meaningful progress" in settlement talks; a joint board and school board meeting on route selection is set for July 29.
• Eugene, OR is reviewing a request from an unidentified buyer asking the city to confirm a data center is a permitted use at the long-dormant former Hynix semiconductor plant.
• Posey County, IN commissioners confirmed signing an NDA with an unnamed data center developer, as residents continue pressing for a temporary moratorium instead of the county's proposed zoning amendments.
• Kalamazoo, MI is considering a temporary moratorium on new data center proposals while it develops zoning safeguards; officials expect to revisit the issue in about three weeks.
• Monticello, MN determined a pending data center application is incomplete and won't advance to formal review until additional information is submitted; no public hearing has been scheduled.
• Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and state Rep. James Talarico separately called for stronger oversight of data centers' water, electricity and grid impacts, with bipartisan interest expected to carry into next year's legislative session.
• Hanford, CA's Kings Fairgrounds is evaluating a proposal from Global Stack for an edge computing facility, with more than 30 people raising transparency and noise concerns at a recent fair board meeting.
• Henderson, NV City Council took no action on a proposed 180-day moratorium, opting instead to negotiate development agreements on a project-by-project basis.
• McCormick County, SC's council chairman said staff are drafting a temporary moratorium, likely reaching the council agenda at its Aug. 18 meeting.
• Columbus, OH officials are weighing new data center regulations, including water conservation and developer-funded infrastructure requirements, after residents pushed for a moratorium or outright ban.
• Johnson County, IA is advancing a proposed ordinance with some of Eastern Iowa's strictest standards, including closed-loop cooling requirements, despite having no active project under consideration.
• Alamance County, NC joined neighboring Yadkin County in weighing a temporary pause on data center development, part of a wider wave of moratoriums across Piedmont Triad counties including Surry, Davie and Davidson.

📅 Upcoming Meetings

• Loudoun County, VA: Joint Board of Supervisors and school board meeting on transmission line routing, July 29.
• Lakeland, FL: Second and final reading on the one-year moratorium, Aug. 3.
• Kansas City, MO: Planning Commission review of the downtown data center proposal, Aug. 5.
• McCormick County, SC: Council expected to take up the draft moratorium, Aug. 18.
• Sunbury, OH: Voters decide the 25-megawatt data center cap, Nov. 3.

👀 In case you missed it...

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

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 23, 2026

Texas is seeing bipartisan support grow for stronger data center regulations; Hanford is evaluating a proposed edge computing facility at the Kings Fairgrounds; Henderson, Nevada declined to impose a 180-day data center moratorium; McCormick County. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 22, 2026

Pittsylvania County approved a resolution supporting STACK Infrastructure’s proposed $100 billion data center campus; Kansas City is reviewing a proposed 20-story downtown data center; Russell is evaluating a proposed $8 billion to $12 billion hyperscale data center campus. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 21, 2026

Pennsylvania passed a budget measure; Spokane County is considering a nine-month moratorium on new data center building permits; El Paso approved a Data Center Policy Framework; Lakeland approved the first reading of a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center applications. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 20, 2026

New Mexico regulators rejected a proposed 17-mile natural gas pipeline; Michigan lawmakers could codify parts of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed data center responsibility pledge; Sunbury voters will decide in November whether to adopt a 25-megawatt data center cap. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

🌟 Most Clicked Link

UNCERTAIN FUTURE: New Carlisle offers lessons to other communities as data centers arrive - THE INDIANA CITIZEN

This story about the impact of a massive data center building project in New Carlisle is the final installment in a three-part series by TheStatehouseFile.com. The first story focused on the use of water by data centers and the second story examined data centers’ encroachment on historic areas around Indiana. By Arianna Hunt TheStatehouseFile.com July

THE INDIANA CITIZEN - THE INDIANA CITIZENMarilyn Odendahl

New Carlisle offers lessons to other communities as data centers arrive

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