Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // July 6 - July 10, 2026

📋 This Week's Decisions

Moratoriums Approved

• Hazle Township, PA: Supervisors voted unanimously on June 8 to pause data center applications for 180 days, a fresh setback for the 1,300-acre "Project Hazelnut" complex from developer NorthPoint Development. The board plans to rewrite zoning rules during the pause, and the vote follows a county court ruling against the developer in May. Gov. Josh Shapiro introduced the project last November as a flagship under the state's "Fast Track" permitting program.
• Delta County, MI: The Planning Commission passed a 12-month moratorium on data center and cryptocurrency mining construction Monday, giving the county time to craft ordinances addressing electrical infrastructure, natural resources and tourism concerns. The decision now heads to the county board, which meets next on Aug. 27.
• Greenwood County, SC: County Council approved a one-year data center moratorium in a 4-3 vote Tuesday, even though the county has no pending applications. Councilors also advanced an amended ordinance barring data centers from industrial districts, though that measure still needs a third and final reading.
• Prince George's County, MD: The County Council passed a two-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development Tuesday, following nearly an hour of public testimony and about 30 minutes of debate. Members rejected a motion to hold the measure for further discussion; Councilmember Sydney Harrison called for a community benefit task force even while acknowledging the potential tax revenue.
• Warren, ME: Residents nearly unanimously approved a 180-day data center moratorium at a special town meeting July 8, drawing an overflow crowd of about 60, nearly double June's annual meeting turnout. No applications have been filed; officials cited concerns over heavy water and power use.
• Sarasota County, FL: Commissioners voted Wednesday to halt acceptance, review and approval of hyperscale data centers until at least July 2027, citing water use and utility infrastructure strain. The freeze applies to facilities using 50 megawatts or more; Commissioner Joe Neunder said he opposes such projects "not now, not ever."
• DeKalb County, GA: Commissioners voted July 7 to extend the county's data center moratorium through early 2027, directing additional departments to study impacts after rejecting a proposed zoning text amendment on June 23. The commission is also weighing a special land-use permit for a 2-million-square-foot facility proposed in Ellenwood.

Projects Denied/Withdrawn

• Hoffman Estates Village, IL: Developer Karis Critical withdrew its rezoning petition for the Plum Farms data center five days ahead of a scheduled Village Board vote, capping weeks of resident pushback. The Plan Commission had voted 4-2 against recommending the rezoning in early June, and the company says it may return with a fuller proposal.
• Boulder City, NV: Townsite Solar 2 LLC pulled its bid to lease city land for an 88.5-acre data center after the Bureau of Land Management cleared the way for the project to shift to nearby federal land instead. The city council takes up the matter July 14 following a Planning Commission recommendation.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Nashville, TN: A packed crowd at Metro Courthouse pressed council members to slow data center growth Tuesday, hours after Mayor Freddie O'Connell publicly disputed developer DC BLOX's account of talks over a project next to the Nashville Zoo. Two ordinances, one capping data center size and another creating a moratorium, cleared their second of three required votes, and O'Connell has separately filed to acquire the zoo-adjacent site through eminent domain.
• Eagan, MN: Data center operator Eagan Capital filed suit against the city on June 15, calling its one-year moratorium "ill-advised and unlawful" and arguing the city overstepped authority that belongs to state utility regulators. The February moratorium bars new data centers over 20 megawatts and runs until Feb. 17, 2027.
• Sturtevant, WI: Three residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft July 1 over noise, dust and light pollution from its $7.3 billion Fairwater data center, covering households within 1.5 miles of the site. Microsoft acknowledged the noise issue in a June 18 blog post, saying engineering changes had resolved cooling-fan noise with further mitigation planned.
• Prince William County, VA: Supervisors were set to vote Tuesday on a comprehensive plan amendment for the nearly 2,000-acre Dulles South Innovation Center, a proposed 43 million-square-foot campus; county staff recommended denial, and advocacy groups rallied against the plan ahead of the vote.
• Albany, NY: The Common Council voted 12-0 to back a proposed statewide data center moratorium, pressuring Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the pending legislature-passed bill. No formal data center project has been submitted to the city.
• Jackson, MS: City leaders held two meetings to discuss a temporary data center moratorium, with Council President Brian Grizzell saying officials still need to consult engineers and environmentalists before deciding where facilities should be allowed. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality holds a public hearing on a related air permit July 14.
• New Albany, IN: City Council advanced a proposed one-year moratorium that would block new data centers or campuses larger than 100,000 square feet, setting up a final vote July 16. Mayor Jeff Gahan proposed the pause June 9 to give the city time to study impacts.
• Lakeland, FL: Officials heard from residents and a developer over a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers requiring 50 megawatts or more, driven by opposition to the planned Project Swan facility. Ryan Companies developer Tyler Lohmiller said the project would need roughly 100 megawatts; a final vote is set for Aug. 3.
• Fort Worth, TX: The Zoning Commission voted 7-4 to deny a first-of-its-kind proposed data center zoning ordinance, sending it back for revisions on setback distances. The ordinance returns to council Aug. 4 ahead of a final vote Aug. 11.
• Pocatello, ID: The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reaffirmed opposition to a proposed AI data center at the former Hoku site ahead of a July 16 City Council appeal hearing, saying the developer failed to supply enough information on power and water impacts.
• Orangetown, NY: The Planning Board heard a packed-house presentation from DataBank on its proposed Phase 2 expansion near Lake Tappan, with dozens of residents waiting to speak against the project. The board has not decided whether the town's newly adopted moratorium applies to the application, which was submitted before the pause took effect.
• Festus, MO: Officials faced renewed criticism after developer CRG presented a downsized version of its $6 billion data center to the City Council behind closed doors on June 29; an opponent called the closed session "shameful" after CRG had promised public sessions that haven't happened.
• Utah is pursuing nuclear and geothermal power expansion under "Operation Gigawatt" to meet soaring data center electricity demand, with Gov. Spencer Cox saying new reactors should come online within four to five years.
• Jay, Maine: Emails released under a public records request show a developer worked to give Gov. Janet Mills "cover" for her veto of a statewide data center moratorium; the local project has since collapsed regardless.
• Martins Ferry, OH officials floated setting up environmental sensors to track baseline air quality and noise ahead of possible nearby data center development, though the council took no formal vote.
• Aurora, CO Councilmember Amy Wiles is exploring new data center rules for her district after roughly 80 residents packed a listening session to debate the issue.
• Detroit, MI's City Planning Commission has begun drafting data center zoning policy, with a working group concluding hyperscale facilities aren't viable for the city and Councilman Scott Benson targeting Council approval by Dec. 31.
• Cheyenne, WY officials are weighing a temporary worker camp for up to 5,500 people to support the county's data center construction boom, which already includes ten operating facilities and 14 more in the pipeline.
• Joplin, MO: City Council voted 9-0 to table a proposed data center ordinance requiring special use permits, sending it back for revisions on pollution standards and utility rate protections, with a return expected in early August.
• Massillon, OH City Council delayed final action on its data center zoning ordinance by at least two weeks after adding amendments restricting facilities to heavy-industrial zoning and expanding residential setbacks to 400 feet, with a work session set for July 13.
• North Mankato, MN City Council discussed a proposed one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers at a work session, though no formal vote was taken.
• Bell County, TX residents pressed commissioners to scrap data center tax abatements entirely; commissioners stopped short of ending the incentives but planned workshops for July 27, Aug. 3 and Aug. 17 to revise the policy.
• Frederick County, MD's Board of Education will hold a community listening session July 13 to gather feedback on the nearby Quantum Frederick data center development, ahead of a staff report to the school board in September.
• Crossville, TN officials are weighing a two-year moratorium on new data centers after a bitcoin mining facility drew persistent noise complaints from a neighboring business, even though the facility remains within the city's decibel limit.
• Clark County, NV commissioners agreed to develop new data center guidelines after a wave of public opposition over utility, environmental and quality-of-life concerns.
• Fort Wayne, IN City Council unanimously delayed a vote on creating an advisory task force for Google's southeast data center, pushing the decision to Sept. 8 in the second delay since the proposal came up in late June.
• Dubuque County, IA residents pressed the Board of Supervisors to move faster on a permanent data center ordinance, even as the county's existing 12-month moratorium remains in place.
• Kern County, CA: Inyokern Airport and the China Lake Naval Base formally opposed a proposed 99-megawatt data center, warning its cooling system and 40 diesel generators could threaten aviation safety and drift over a nearby weapons test range.
• Grand Traverse County, MI: The Planning Commission recommended a zoning change giving the township board power to impose a data center moratorium, after hundreds of residents packed a hearing in support and none spoke against it.
• New Carlisle, IN: IDEM held a virtual public hearing on Amazon's federal water quality permit application for a data center project that already drew scrutiny over an unauthorized wetland impact in 2025; written comments are open through July 17.
• Huntington, IN's Plan Commission discussed zoning options for potential data centers while a county moratorium remains in place, leaning toward permitting facilities in industrial zoning districts; the discussion continues Aug. 12.

📅 Upcoming Meetings

• Jackson, MS: Mississippi Dept. of Environmental Quality public hearing on an air permit application, July 14

• Frederick County, MD: Community listening session on the Quantum Frederick data center, July 13.

• Massillon, OH: Council work session on the amended zoning ordinance, July 13.
• New Albany, IN: Final vote on the one-year moratorium, July 16.

• Pocatello, ID: City Council appeal hearing on the Hoku site data center, July 16.

• Boulder City, NV: Council takes up the land lease/appeal matter, July 14.
• New Carlisle, IN: Written comment period on Amazon's water quality permit closes, July 17.
• Bell County, TX: Tax abatement policy workshops, July 27, Aug. 3 and Aug. 17.
• Lakeland, FL: Public hearing on the proposed moratorium, July 20; final vote, Aug. 3.

• Fort Worth, TX: Council work session on the revised zoning ordinance, Aug. 4; final vote, Aug. 11

• Huntington, IN: Plan Commission continues zoning discussion, Aug. 12.

• Delta County, MI: Planning Commission's next meeting to route the moratorium to the county board, Aug. 27.

🌟 Most Clicked Link

👀 In case you missed it...

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

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 9, 2026

Warren nearly unanimously approved a moratorium, Sarasota County halts review of hyperscale data center, Fort Worth denies a proposed zoning ordinance, Pocatello faces renewed opposition, Orangetown County presents its proposed Phase 2 expansion.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 8, 2026

Greenwood County and Price George’s County approve data center moratorium; Nashville saw residents pack a council meeting for slower data growth; Clark County develops new guidelines; Crossville weighs a two-year data center moratorium.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 7, 2026

Delta County enacts 12-month moratorium. Joplin tables proposed ordinance requiring special use permits. New Albany advances a one-year moratorium with a final vote set for July 16. Massillon delays zoning data ordinance. North Mankato and Lakeland consider one-year moratorium.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | July 6, 2026

Utah pursues nuclear and geothermal power expansions, Hazle Township imposes moratorium on applications, Detroit drafts data center zoning policy. Cheyenne weighs temporary worker camp for up to 5,500 people.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGenelaine Urbano

Social Listening 🎧: Podcast

Policy talk doesn’t just happen in the news cycle—it can also live in long-form audio. Strisker’s Podcast Signal turns hours of episodes into actionable insight, indexing transcripts so you can surface key mentions of STRs, data centers, ordinances, and local decision-makers in seconds.

Create Your Watchlist - 14 Day Free Trial

👍 We’d love your feedback.
Which stories hit? Which ones missed?

We're constantly refining Weekly Briefing to make it even more useful for you.

✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!

-Will McClure
🙋 P.S.
Know someone else who should be reading Weekly Briefing? Feel free to forward this along. It is the easiest way to stay ahead of regulation changes in short-term and vacation rentals.