Data Centers: Weekly Briefing // September 14-18, 2026

📋 This Week's Decisions

Just Passed ✔️

Moratoriums Approved

• Manatee County, FL: Commissioners voted unanimously to impose a 12-month moratorium on data centers, passing without public discussion, after neighboring DeSoto County's approval of a controversial project intensified local concerns.
• Statesville, NC: City Council unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new applications through March 2027, joining Charlotte and Kings Mountain; the pause doesn't affect the Compass Data Center project already underway near Interstate 40.
• Alachua, FL: The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a 12-month moratorium after a failed meeting the prior week lacked quorum, even though officials say no data center projects are currently proposed within county jurisdiction.
• Clarendon County, SC: Council unanimously approved a moratorium on its third and final reading, closing loopholes that previously let applications advance without county oversight; public concern centered on "Project 59," a facility tied to Santee Electric Co-op that hasn't finalized plans.
• Lima, OH: City Council approved an 18-month moratorium on new data centers to evaluate siting, water capacity and electricity demand, exempting Google's facility already under construction.
• McDonald, OH: Village Council unanimously approved a one-year emergency moratorium, 5-0, a day after developer Oppidan presented plans for eight to 12 data center buildings at the former McDonald Steel mill site.
• Marysville, KS: City Council unanimously adopted a 12-month moratorium, defining data centers broadly to include hyperscale, cloud, AI and cryptocurrency facilities while excluding ordinary server rooms.
• Woodburn, OR: City Council unanimously approved a 120-day moratorium, joining a wave of Oregon cities buying time to review regulations amid Hillsboro's pushback and Clackamas County's early discussions; no applications are currently pending.
• Foley, AL: City Council approved a six-month moratorium on data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities and server farms, halting applications while officials update ordinances covering water use, air pollution and noise. No applications have been filed, but Foley's Riviera Utilities already requires developers to supply their own power capacity.

Regulations Passed

• North Little Rock, AR: City Council approved zoning rules formally defining "data center campuses" and restricting them to I-3 industrial zones under conditional use permits, requiring projects to prove they won't strain local electric and water utilities.
• Woodford County, KY: The fiscal court unanimously passed a permanent ban on data center construction, along with restrictions on landfills and large battery storage, becoming the first Kentucky county to take such a strict stance; the Data Center Coalition criticized the move as anti-business.

💬 Catch Up on Discussions

• Prince William County, VA: The Planning Commission voted to recommend ending by-right data center development, requiring special use permits with public hearings and shrinking the county's Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District first adopted in 2016. Commissioners settled on a 120-day grace period with a 500-foot buffer from homes and schools; the Board of Supervisors holds a public hearing Sept. 22.
• San Francisco, CA: Supervisor Shamann Walton announced plans for a 45-day moratorium on new approvals and expansions, citing a proposed facility at the Cow Palace and five existing centers concentrated in Bayview-Hunters Point. The pause could extend up to 220 days and would cover power upgrades for existing centers, not just new ones.
• Eugene, OR: The city directed all employees not to sign NDAs involving data centers, formalizing a transparency policy after more than 70 residents urged a moratorium and NDA ban following the city's rejection of a proposal at the former Hynix site. The council revisits broader zoning policy Dec. 14, with the mayor saying hyperscale centers aren't an accepted use anywhere in the city.
• Massena, NY: The Town Board voted down a proposed six-month moratorium, 3-2, clearing the way for NCCS's proposed 400-megawatt project near the former Alcoa East plant. The developer says the project is exempt from New York's statewide moratorium since it needs no additional discretionary state permits; several studies remain before construction can begin.
• Piqua, OH: Commissioners voted to advance three recall elections targeting the mayor and two other officials, alongside a charter amendment banning high-intensity computing facilities and cryptocurrency mining that cleared its first reading with 1,319 verified signatures. Both measures would go before voters within 60 to 120 days if finalized.
• Colorado Springs, CO is set to decide whether the contested Raeden data center at the former Intel microchip plant can proceed, after an appeal raised concerns about low-frequency vibration studies; the decision could still be challenged in court, extending the dispute for months.
• Philadelphia, PA Mayor Sherrell Parker established a task force to study data center impacts on energy, water, public health and city costs, with a final report due by June 30, 2027; the order doesn't approve any new project.
• Columbus, OH officials are proposing a package of data center regulations covering utility rates, 30% renewable energy requirements for behind-the-meter generation, water efficiency disclosures and decommissioning plans; a council vote on the rate ordinance is expected Sept. 28.
• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Water Development Board to begin penalizing data centers and other major water users that fail to comply with mandatory reporting requirements, saying many companies may have already violated civil and criminal statutes; he instructed the board to coordinate with ERCOT and update his office by Oct. 14.
• Portland, OR City Council voted on a resolution discouraging NDAs with data center developers and requiring notification when a company seeks to build or expand a facility drawing 20 megawatts or more, as the state's data centers now consume 5.6% of its electricity.
• Loudoun County, VA: Supervisors are preparing to debate two amendments that would pause new applications and eliminate by-right permitting for older applications; the pause report comes Sept. 15, with the grandfather-clause amendment scheduled for Oct. 6.
• Beaufort, NC commissioners postponed their vote on a proposed one-year moratorium from Sept. 14 to Oct. 5, allowing more time for public input.
• Oxford Township, MI officials are drafting ordinances that would make data centers a special land use requiring stricter noise standards, utility demand studies and screening, with rules due before the township's moratorium ends in 2027.
• Moffat County, CO commissioners postponed a decision on a proposed moratorium until Oct. 13 to gather more public input, with the planning commission recommending a six-month cap if one is adopted.
• Dubuque County, IA supervisors are six work sessions into drafting new rules, with county maps showing proposed setbacks would leave few viable sites while the existing moratorium remains in place.
• Eagle Mountain, UT leaders welcomed Meta's announcement of a major data center expansion, including $600,000 for a future elementary school site and a 150-megawatt battery storage project.
• Sulphur Springs, TX City Council narrowly rejected a proposal to audit its economic development agreement with SSDC1, LLC, 4-3, amid disputes over the proposed data center's construction delays; CyrusOne scheduled a Sept. 24 town hall to address concerns.
• Riverside, CA City Council created a temporary three-member committee to study AI and develop citywide policy recommendations, tying into the city's recently adopted 90-day data center moratorium.
• Leon County, FL commissioners unanimously advanced an 18-month moratorium on large-scale data centers, with a final vote scheduled for Oct. 13 and staff findings due back in September 2027.
• Santa Cruz, CA supervisors voted against a proposal requiring voter approval for future AI data centers, opting to study the issue further; the measure's sponsor said he may pursue a ballot petition instead.
• Orange County, FL commissioners signaled support for a temporary moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers after Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad presented nearly 2,000 petitions, citing a projected 96-million-gallon groundwater shortfall by 2045; the commission could revisit the issue in December after staff recommendations.
• Raleigh, NC officials announced plans to draft a six-month moratorium, following a developer's withdrawal of a Southeast Raleigh proposal and moratoriums already adopted in Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte; a public hearing is set for Oct. 6.
• Eau Claire, WI's Sustainability Advisory Committee finalized recommendations for regulating data centers, including simplified zoning classifications and added air quality standards, sending them to City Council.
• Woodbury, MN is considering a one-year moratorium on new data centers and expansions, with a draft interim ordinance heading to City Council Sept. 23 that would also cover large water and sewer users.
• Harmony, MN is advancing a sixth draft of a data center ordinance requiring closed-loop cooling, capping cooling water use at 60,000 gallons monthly, and prohibiting NDAs, with a public hearing set for Oct. 14.

📅 Upcoming Meetings

• Prince William County, VA: Board of Supervisors public hearing on ending by-right development, Sept. 22.
• Sulphur Springs, TX: CyrusOne town hall to address community concerns, Sept. 24.
• Woodbury, MN: Council considers the proposed moratorium, Sept. 23.
• Columbus, OH: Council vote on the rate ordinance, Sept. 28.
• Beaufort, NC: Final hearing and vote on the moratorium, Oct. 5.
• Raleigh, NC: Public hearing on the proposed moratorium, Oct. 6.
• Loudoun County, VA: Vote on ending the by-right grandfather clause, Oct. 6.
• Moffat County, CO: Commissioners revisit the moratorium decision, Oct. 13.
• Leon County, FL: Final vote on the moratorium, Oct. 13.
• Harmony, MN: Public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Committee, Oct. 14.

👀 In case you missed it...

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

Data Centers: Daily Notes | September 17, 2026

Colorado Springs is set to decide whether the contested Raeden data center at the former Intel plant can move forward; Eugene has directed city employees not to sign NDAs involving data centers; Eau Claire; Philadelphia; McDonald; Woodbury; Harmony; Columbus; Massena. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGen Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | September 16, 2026

Sulphur Springs City Council narrowly rejected a proposal to audit its economic development agreement; Woodburn City Council unanimously approved a 120-day moratorium; Riverside; Marysville; Orange County; Leon County; Eugene; Santa Cruz; Raleigh. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGen Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | September 15, 2026

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Water Development Board to enforce penalties against data centers; Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium; Statesville; Alachua; Clarendon County; San Francisco; Dubuque County; North Little Rock; Lima; Eagle Mountain. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGen Urbano

Data Centers: Daily Notes | September 14 2026

Beaufort commissioners postponed their vote on a proposed one-year moratorium; Loudon County supervisors are preparing to consider amendments that would pause new data center applications; Oxford Township; Portland; Piqua; Woodford County; Prince William; Moffat County; Foley. READ MORE.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsGen Urbano

Data Center Moratorium: Reasons, Impacts, and State Policies

Explore the reasoning behind a data center moratorium, its impact to the communities and data center developers, and some states with moratorium bills.

Strisker - Short-term rental and data center regulationsEm Dela Cruz

☀️ Most Clicked Link

Harpersville begins data center study during six-month moratorium

HARPERSVILLE, Ala. (WBMA) — Harpersville leaders say no data center developer has approached the town, but officials are taking time to learn about the industry

WBMAABC 33/40

Harpersville begins data center study during six-month moratorium

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