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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Cities Pause Data Center Approvals
Coverage from Spectrum News Kentucky, JD Supra, and others
Louisville is using a six-month moratorium and proposed zoning rules to pause new data center approvals while officials consider limits on facility size, location, noise, cooling, setbacks, and infrastructure costs.
Similar pauses in North Carolina and proposals elsewhere show communities seeking more control over electricity demand, water use, utility rates, environmental impacts, and public participation before approving large facilities. The regulatory direction remains unsettled, with existing projects often grandfathered or exempted and permanent rules still moving through local and state processes.
Key Articles4 of 161 articles
If you read one thing
It provides the clearest overview of Louisville’s moratorium, proposed siting rules, infrastructure requirements, and grandfathering issues.
Best explainer
It explains how proposed rules would shift infrastructure costs to developers and impose concrete zoning and permitting conditions.
The counter-case
It represents the alternative approach of tightening standards without imposing a moratorium, directly addressing the Topic’s central policy dispute.
The evidence
It adds broader evidence on how power and water constraints shape permitting while major data center projects continue moving forward.
Key Issues
Moratoria are hardening into siting rules
Louisville, Raleigh, Cary, Charlotte, and other jurisdictions are using temporary pauses to develop tighter controls on facility size, location, setbacks, noise, hearings, and environmental review. Louisville’s advancing code amendments and the spread of additional pauses indicate that moratoria are increasingly serving as bridges to permanent local standards.
Strengthening
Resource impacts are becoming approval conditions
Electricity demand, water use, cooling systems, utility costs, and infrastructure capacity are increasingly being addressed through developer-funded upgrades, resource-impact reviews, cooling restrictions, and proposed state standards. These concerns are shaping both local moratoria and the substantive rules being drafted for eventual approvals.
Stable
Local control is fragmented and legally contested
The effect of new restrictions depends on state authority, procedural rules, and project status. Lawsuits over moratoria, differing municipal approaches, and explicit exemptions or grandfathering for approved or advancing facilities continue to limit uniform application of local controls.
Strengthening
Large projects continue under regulatory friction
Moratoria are slowing or conditioning future approvals rather than eliminating the development pipeline. Exempt or grandfathered Louisville projects, Cleveland’s proposed 150-MW facility, and major Nevada power requests show that substantial investment remains active alongside tighter review.
Stable
Key Numbers
5-3
Planning Commission vote
“Louisville Metro is moving closer to new data center regulations after the Louisville Metro Planning Commission voted 5-3 to recommend amendments to the Land Development Code.”
six-month
application moratorium duration
“A six-month moratorium on data center applications took effect in August, but it could end early if Metro Council approves regulations sooner.”
100 or 200 feet
required setback from residential areas
“Depending on their size, data centers would have to be located 100 or 200 feet from nearby residential areas.”
500,000 square feet
maximum data center size
“Under the draft amendments, data centers would be capped at 500,000 square feet and allowed only in the M-1 industrial zoning district. Facilities larger than 50,000 square feet would require a conditional use permit.”
50,000 square feet
threshold for conditional use permit
“Under the draft amendments, data centers would be capped at 500,000 square feet and allowed only in the M-1 industrial zoning district. Facilities larger than 50,000 square feet would require a conditional use permit.”
Contested Issue
Should local governments temporarily pause new data center approvals, or allow projects to proceed under clear standards without a moratorium?
The corpus presents incompatible regulatory approaches. Multiple jurisdictions are using or considering temporary moratoria to study data centers' infrastructure, resource, environmental, and neighborhood effects before approving additional projects. Other evidence favors clear, case-by-case standards and zoning controls instead of broad pauses, allowing investment to proceed while impacts are addressed.
Temporary approval pauses
Local governments should suspend or restrict new approvals while they develop comprehensive siting, resource-use, infrastructure, and environmental standards.
Standards without moratoria
Local governments should use clear, case-by-case standards and zoning controls rather than broadly suspending approvals, allowing data center investment to proceed while impacts are assessed and mitigated.
Looking Back
133 Day Timeline
May 7
May 28
Jun 21
Jul 12
Aug 2
Aug 26
Sep 16
The Story So Far
No material change
Raleigh’s consideration of a six-month moratorium reinforces the existing pattern of North Carolina communities pausing or constraining data center approvals, but does not materially change the topic’s established regulatory direction.
Previously
Louisville is using a six-month moratorium and proposed zoning rules to pause new data center approvals while officials consider limits on facility size, location, noise, cooling, setbacks, and infrastructure costs. Similar pauses in North Carolina and proposals elsewhere show communities seeking more control over electricity demand, water use, utility rates, environmental impacts, and public participation before approving large facilities. The regulatory direction remains unsettled, with existing projects often grandfathered or exempted and permanent rules still moving through local and state processes.
History
09/09/2026
The story broadens from Louisville’s moratorium to a wider, unsettled regulatory movement, with more North Carolina jurisdictions and Seattle entering the picture. It also sharpens the dispute over grandfathering existing projects and adds ownership disclosure to Louisville’s proposed rules.
09/08/2026
Louisville’s response has advanced from a moratorium and proposed framework to a formal planning process, with the Planning Commission recommending more detailed zoning and operating requirements.
All Articles161 articles
Important
Louisville Metro's Planning Commission recommended data center zoning amendments in Louisville, Kentucky, imposing size, setback, permitting, environmental, generator, and cooling requirements before Metro Council review.
9/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Multiple U.S. states and localities proposed or advanced data center moratoria and zoning changes in 2025-2026, increasing permitting delays and litigation risk.
5/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg signed a six-month data center moratorium Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, after Metro Council approved new siting restrictions.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council approved a six-month moratorium on new data center proposals in Louisville, Kentucky, while officials develop zoning and siting regulations.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council approved a 180-day moratorium on new data center proposals in Louisville, Kentucky, while permanent siting regulations undergo review.
8/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Dermody Properties filed a Louisville application to convert a vacant Rubbertown warehouse into a data center while city officials consider a moratorium on new facilities.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg directed officials on Aug. 12 to pause Dermody Properties' proposed Kramers Lane data center while Metro Council considers a 180-day moratorium.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
The Frey administration proposed Minneapolis data center zoning rules for downtown and commercial corridors, with a public hearing scheduled October 13 and a City Council vote planned for November.
8/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Ben Murray and Manchester, Ohio residents used township hearings and a PJM site request to challenge a proposed data center, resulting in a one-year pause and moratoriums in 2026.
5/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cary Town Council approved an immediate 18-month moratorium on data center approvals in Cary, North Carolina, through February 2028, while officials study regulation and infrastructure capacity.
8/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Mercer County Fiscal Court approved a one-year data center construction moratorium in Kentucky after residents opposed Panattoni Data Centers' proposed 1,300-megawatt hyperscale facility.
8/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Henderson City Council directed staff on updated data center application standards after about 100 neighbors sought a moratorium.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland City Council voted in 2020s to pause standalone data center development for three months, directing staff to draft zoning rules for Cleveland-area sites.
7/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Eagan Capital sued Eagan, Minnesota on June 15 to block enforcement of a one-year data center moratorium adopted in February amid interim permit denials and noise complaints.
7/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Eagan Capital filed suit on June 15 in Minnesota District Court to overturn a Feb. 17 City of Eagan moratorium limiting data center electricity use.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Henderson, Nevada considered a 180-day moratorium on data center permit approvals as NV Energy weighs major grid load requests and environmental groups push tighter local rules.
6/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Madison officials planned draft hyperscale data center zoning rules for fall after a January moratorium, while Dane County approved a moratorium extending to December 2027.
6/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
First & Utah Properties submitted June 12 filings to convert 45,600 square feet at 2401 Utah Ave. S. into a small-scale Seattle data center under a new large data center moratorium.
6/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Office of Planning opened a 30-day public comment period for draft data center regulations on Tuesday, proposing a hyperscale ban and tighter siting limits.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Charlotte City Council approved a five-month data center moratorium on Monday, after resident concerns about clean air and clean water and state-law limits on pending approvals.
6/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council voted to halt data center approvals through August 2027 while drafting regulations addressing electricity and water concerns.
6/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Dane County Board Chair Patrick Miles advances a permitting-focused moratorium on hyperscale data center proposals after legal review of Manitowoc County's approach, pending a June 4 vote.
5/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Eagan, Minnesota, and other U.S. jurisdictions use temporary data center moratoria as legal authority, preemption, and Takings risks are evaluated locally.
5/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland officials seek a three-month to one-year moratorium on data-center zoning permits during zoning-code updates, affecting H5 and Lakeland projects.
5/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council adopted a 6-1 pending moratorium on new data center approvals on a 30-day timeline while siting and impact rules are finalized.
5/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno council approved a up-to-30-day pause on new data center permits, with a June 1 vote shaping potential water and power requirements.
5/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lakeland Equity Group filed plans on May 5 for a 150 MW hyperscale data center in Cleveland's Slavic Village as City Council debates a moratorium timing decision.
5/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cary Town Council approved an 18-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers in Cary, North Carolina, to study infrastructure, water, land-use, and environmental requirements.
8/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council approved a six-month moratorium on new data center applications Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, after public opposition and concerns about land-use impacts.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council approved a six-month data center moratorium Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, to study zoning, infrastructure, utility, water, tax, and neighborhood impacts.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg plans to pause a newly submitted southwest Louisville data center application while Metro Council considers a six-month moratorium and new local rules.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cary, North Carolina, approved an 18-month data center moratorium as towns across the state assess rising power demand, water use, and local impacts.
9/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Government released a June 9, 2026 draft data center land development code amendment for comment, and Kentucky Resources Council submitted revisions on notice and lifecycle standards.
7/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Michael J. Morell said Cleveland should reject a three-month data center permit moratorium and continue permitting with clear standards, citing U.S. AI investment competitiveness.
7/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Kentucky Resources Council submitted an impact-based model ordinance to Louisville and Lexington during public comment on proposed hyperscale data center zoning changes.
8/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Minneapolis officials paused new data center development for five months in Minneapolis while reviewing proposed zoning, resource-use, safety, and neighborhood regulations.
8/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville's Planning Commission advanced stricter data center regulations Thursday in Louisville, including rezoning requirements and a proposed hyperscale ban, for final consideration by Metro Council.
8/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
A North Carolina town launched a data center information portal during a 12-month pause to study infrastructure, environmental, and community impacts before revising local zoning rules.
8/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg urged the city council on Tuesday to pause data center construction while Louisville, Kentucky, considers new siting regulations.
8/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Burgin, Kentucky advanced a data center annexation ordinance on July 9, while Harrodsburg and Mercer County officials questioned notice rules, services, and water supply capacity.
7/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Jackson City Council considered a six-month data center development moratorium on July 14, after a draft ordinance and a northwest Jackson rezoning application remained pending.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Henderson officials proposed a 180-day pause on data center permits at Henderson City Hall on Tuesday to study city code changes.
6/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lakeland Equity Group filed a Cleveland permit for a 150 MW Slavic Village hyperscale data center as Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council weigh a moratorium.
5/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Morgan McGarvey urged LG&E and KU to prevent ratepayer costs from being shifted to hyperscale data center infrastructure in West Louisville, with questions due by late August.
7/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cleveland Public Power Commissioner Ammon Danielson issued a June 25, 2025 letter supporting a proposed Slavic Village data center up to 125 MW while city officials debated grid capacity and permitting readiness.
7/2/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Cleveland rejected a 150-megawatt Slavic Village data center and City Council considered a moratorium while H5 Data Centers pursued permits for a Cleveland expansion.
6/22/2026 • Technology & Operations • General
Kentucky counties and cities adopt or consider moratoriums on hyperscale data center construction as residents raise land-use and resource concerns.
6/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Seattle City Council introduced a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data centers, tied to Seattle City Light proposals, and scheduled committee votes for June 3.
5/21/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Sunbury, Mount Orab, and Perry Township residents in Ohio organized moratoria and ballot proposals against Amazon-linked data center expansions, citing disclosure and local impact concerns.
5/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Kentucky cities and counties imposed or considered data center moratoriums and zoning restrictions in August as proposed hyperscale projects prompted disputes over tax incentives and local impacts.
8/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Seattle considers a yearlong moratorium and impact study for new AI data centers as Washington addresses electricity, water use, and rate impacts.
5/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Legacy Investing proposed converting a former Star Tribune printing facility into a data center in Minneapolis's North Loop, drawing neighborhood scrutiny at a Wednesday meeting.
8/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
U.S. towns and states recorded more than 500 data center development bans in July as residents and officials challenged projects over power, water, noise, and pollution concerns.
8/10/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
U.S. jurisdictions, state officials, and community groups are delaying or restricting data center projects nationwide in 2025, threatening delivery of AI capacity.
8/10/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Burgin, Kentucky residents question annexation plans for Project Bluegrass after complaints reached the Kentucky Attorney General's Office.
7/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Henderson County officials in North Carolina denied data-center permit activity for the vacant Coats America mill after residents raised rumors and sought moratorium-based options under state downzoning limits.
6/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Alliance City Council is using an 18-month moratorium in Alliance, Ohio, to study data center impacts and establish zoning and operating conditions before permits resume.
9/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council paused Dermody Properties' proposed 350,000-square-foot data center on Kramer Lane while reviewing new regulations in west Louisville.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
AI data center developers and local governments are litigating bans and imposing project conditions across the United States over infrastructure, environmental, and land use impacts.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro residents and officials debated proposed data center zoning amendments and a six-month moratorium Wednesday at the University of Louisville Shelby campus.
8/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Rubix Data Centers plans Ashland, Kentucky data centers while Russell, Boyd County, and Ashland moratoriums require lifting by August 31 for construction.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Jackson City Council will vote July 14 on a proposed 183-day moratorium on new data center applications amid zoning-law concerns and public opposition.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Alliance, Ohio City Council approved an 18-month moratorium on AI data center permits on July 6, 2025, while drafting future conditional-use rules.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Eagan Capital sued the city of Eagan, Minnesota, in response to a February data center moratorium and asserted the measure overlaps with Minnesota Public Utilities Commission electrical regulation.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Eagan Capital sued Eagan, Minnesota, in response to a year-long moratorium limiting new data centers over nine megawatts of electricity.
7/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights City Council voted 3-2 in Minnesota to pause data center construction for one year, delaying a QLevr proposal on Carmen Avenue East.
6/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Mayfield Village Council approved a one-year data center moratorium on June 22 in Ohio while staff study zoning, emissions, noise, and rapid-deployment risks.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights officials imposed a one-year pause on a proposed QLevr, LLC data center on March after a 3-2 vote amid neighborhood opposition and a litigation threat.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, voted 3-2 for a one-year data center moratorium after residents raised environmental and grid concerns and a developer threatened a lawsuit.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, City Council approved a one-year data-center moratorium Friday, pausing a Carmen Avenue 50,000-square-foot proposal amid an environmental petition and threatened $150 million lawsuit.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland City Council will hold a hearing on a data-center moratorium this Thursday, guided by Cuyahoga County recommendations on zoning, energy, and water conditions.
6/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Canton, New York proposed a June 10 moratorium on large data-center construction through next May, with a July 8 public hearing.
6/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Murray, Kentucky City Council initiated first reading of data center zoning amendments and set a July 16 public hearing after planning commission revisions.
6/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Amazon employees in Seattle filed a civil rights complaint in June after public comments urging data center regulation, as Seattle City Council approved a one-year construction moratorium.
6/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Office of Planning presents a first draft of hyperscale data center regulations after a proposed moratorium, with public comments due July 10.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville officials began public comment on proposed hyperscale data center zoning rules after a moratorium call following a Camp Ground Road approval classified as a telecommunications hotel.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Starbucks Center owners filed a conceptual plan with Seattle to assess a small data center at 2401 Utah Ave. S. amid a one-year moratorium on large projects over 20 megavolt-amperes.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Bowling Green City Commission approved new zoning rules for potential data center sites in Kentucky after a public hearing and a failed 3-2 six-month moratorium.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Asheville, North Carolina, advanced a proposed one-year moratorium on data center development after PEDE Committee approval and staff concerns about utilities, noise, heat, and zoning.
6/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Milton City Council approved a 30-day data-center permitting moratorium on Monday, with potential extension decisions planned for July.
6/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
H5 Data Centers filed a $30 million permit for an expansion at 1625 Rockwell Ave. in Downtown Cleveland as City Council considered a data center moratorium.
6/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Greenfield city councilors, led by Sarah Bolduc, review a one-year data center moratorium or special permit process to address electricity and water impacts.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Planning Commission proposed hyperscale data center restrictions and industrial-only siting after initiating a 30-day public review period.
6/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seattle City Council approved a one-year moratorium on new large-scale AI data centers in response to developer proposals and community hearings.
6/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Amazon employees urged Seattle officials to pause data center permits and create rules on water and electricity transparency while the city council considered a moratorium.
6/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Louisville Metro Council members Jennifer Chappell and Shameka Parrish-Wright propose a hyperscale data center moratorium after Rubbertown zoning-permit concerns surfaced during planning and zoning commission review.
6/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Grove City, Ohio, approved a 6-1 one-year moratorium on new data center development on Monday after community hearings and a planned six-month impact study.
6/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council voted 6-1 to impose a data-center approval moratorium through August 31, 2027 while drafting city code rules.
6/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno, Nevada, scheduled a June 1 City Council special meeting to decide whether to extend a temporary pause on new data center applications.
5/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cary, North Carolina officials considered a temporary data center moratorium on water-resource concerns tied to Jordan Lake at a Thursday-night council meeting.
5/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Marys city councilors introduced a 12-month emergency moratorium on data centers while Ohio paused new data center tax exemptions during state committee review.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Qlevr sought protection for an April 27 Inver Grove Heights data center application as the city delayed revisiting a one-year moratorium on approvals.
5/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Charlotte City Council held a public hearing on a proposed 150-day moratorium for new data center facilities, with a June 8 vote scheduled.
5/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, will consider a QLevr LLC data center application and a one-year moratorium after legal threats over zoning-law authority.
5/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Charles Slife-led Cleveland proposal would pause data center permits while zoning rules for definitions, size, and utilities are updated as Lakeland Equity Group advances plans.
5/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Greater Cleveland Partnership, backed by Ohio business and labor groups, urges Ohio communities to stop pausing data center permitting while lawmakers consider changing sales tax incentives.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Boardman, Ohio township trustees voted April 28 to impose a one-year moratorium on data centers while zoning and regulation options are developed amid community concerns.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Greenville, Wisconsin Planning Commission approved a one-year moratorium on data centers Monday, pending Village Board final authorization.
5/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland officials Blaine Griffin and Justin Bibb said no data centers will be sited at The Midline while pending legislation blocks new facilities until May 2027.
5/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Painesville Township trustees approved a 12-month data center permit moratorium in Ohio to draft zoning language addressing power and water demand and related local quality-of-life concerns.
5/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council approved a 30-day moratorium on new data center conditional use permit applications while final moratorium details were scheduled for a June 1 vote.
5/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council voted on May 14 to pause new data center application processing until June 13 while city leaders revise regulations.
5/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council imposed a 6:1 temporary moratorium on new data center applications starting June 1 while developing a longer-term permitting framework.
5/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lakeland Equity Group’s Slavic Village data center permit was rejected by Cleveland officials after missing drawings were recorded Thursday.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Minneapolis council member Aurin Chowdhury led a town hall Wednesday on a proposed moratorium on new data centers, with council review scheduled next Thursday and a June vote.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Reno City Council adopted a 30-day moratorium on new data centers, with officials to present a final moratorium proposal at a June 1 council meeting.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland denied a permit for Lakeland Equity Group’s proposed Slavic Village hyperscale data center on East 55th Street after local objections and a May 4 moratorium ordinance.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland rejected Lakeland Equity Group's incomplete building application for a proposed 150 MW Slavic Village data center campus while City Council considered a new data center moratorium.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland rejected a May 5 permit for a $1.6 billion hyperscale data center in Slavic Village, citing zoning review failure and residential siting concerns.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota city council approved a 3-2 one-year data center moratorium in response to a proposed Carmen Avenue project by Fortress Investment Group.
5/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seattle City Council drafted a one-year moratorium on new large data centers to address power-demand and electric bill concerns affecting Seattle residents.
5/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland, Ohio filed due diligence discussions after a permit for a $1.6 billion hyperscale data center near Slavic Village drew concerns about power and water systems.
5/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Black Mountain Town Council in Black Mountain, North Carolina adopted May 11, 2026 zoning amendments for data processing centers and requested drafting future moratorium language.
5/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
U.S. local governments are enacting more permanent data center moratoriums as community opposition grows over electricity costs, noise, and environmental impacts.
5/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Common Council voted 7-3 in 2026 to forward a one-year moratorium draft limiting permits for data centers over 10,000 square feet to the Plan Commission.
5/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cleveland utilities committee voted for a three-month moratorium on standalone data center building permits, with a full council vote possible July 15.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Holly Springs approved a one-year data center moratorium on Tuesday, joining Wake, Chatham, Orange, and Durham pauses amid health, noise, and water concerns.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cary Town Council debated a moratorium on new data center development during a meeting at Cary Town Hall on water and energy impact research tied to Jordan Lake.
5/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Kentucky officials and policy analysts are challenging potential data center tax exemptions in Burgin and Hancock County during an August debate over local revenues.
9/2/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio residents and lawmakers in 2025 debate restrictions on new data centers after local zoning fights around Amazon-linked projects in Mount Orab, Perry Township, and Sunbury.
5/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Mayor Justin Bibb and Cleveland officials rejected a 150 MW hyperscale data center proposal in Slavic Village and are considering zoning limits and a potential permit moratorium in Cleveland, Ohio.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Mount Orab residents in Ohio organized opposition to a potential data center site as state lawmakers advanced a data-center study commission bill.
5/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Burgin residents challenged a proposed Panattoni Development data center and possible farmland annexation Tuesday at a city council meeting in Burgin, Kentucky.
8/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Legacy Investing proposed converting Minneapolis' former Star Tribune printing facility into a data center while a city moratorium restricts large downtown facilities through November.
8/3/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Residents in Burgin, Kentucky held a public meeting on July 20 ordinance consideration to oppose a proposed Mercer County data center near Shaker Village.
7/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Louisville, Rep. Morgan McGarvey opposed the Camp Ground Road hyperscale data center after Louisville Planning Commission approval, citing utility ratepayer and environmental concerns.
7/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, held a June 26 City Council vote to impose a one-year data center construction moratorium after residents requested an EAW environmental review for a QLevr proposal.
6/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Seattle City Council on June 9 approved a moratorium on new data centers above 20 MVA after Amazon employees testified and later filed a Seattle Office for Civil Rights complaint alleging retaliation.
6/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Amazon initiated HR investigations in Seattle in response to three employees' testimony supporting a one-year AI data center moratorium passed by the city.
6/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Kentucky, Breckinridge and Daviess counties adopted one-year data center moratoriums as Meade County rejected a proposal and Hancock County advances a TeraWulf site plan.
6/16/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Mayfield Village Council in Ohio plans to vote on a one-year data center moratorium on June 22 to review land-use, power, water, and tax impacts.
6/6/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Charlotte city council held a public hearing on a 150-day moratorium for data-center development on June 8.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nicole Bethel and Melissa Rexroth join Conserve Ohio to gather signatures in Springfield, Ohio, opposing a 75-megawatt Prime Ohio data center and supporting a constitutional mega-data center ban.
5/25/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Grafton Village Council in Ohio voted May 19 for a five-year moratorium on data center development, alongside multiple Ohio state bills and an AG-approved amendment petition.
5/21/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ohio residents in Mount Orab, Perry Township, and Sunbury oppose proposed data centers, prompting local zoning moratoriums and state lawmakers to debate new restrictions.
5/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Grove City Council approved a nine-month data center moratorium after residents protested a potential Stream Data Centers project in Ohio, with no applications submitted as of May 4.
5/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Amazon investigated three AECJ-linked employees in Seattle during a civil rights dispute following testimony that supported a year-long AI data center moratorium.
6/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cleveland City Council held a hearing on legislation temporarily pausing new data centers after Cuyahoga County issued moratorium guidelines.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Murray, Kentucky officials held first reading of a draft ordinance regulating potential data center development after Planning Commission edits and a one-week development moratorium, ahead of a July 16 public hearing.
6/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Legacy Investing agreed in 2026 to purchase Minneapolis' former Star Tribune printing plant for a potential 20-megawatt data center redevelopment, pending city approval.
7/29/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Rubix Data Centers proposed a 2-GW campus on the former AK Steel Ashland Works site near Ashland, Kentucky, as Russell considers lifting a temporary 180-day moratorium.
7/22/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Mike DeWine announced an Ohio pause on tax incentives for new hyperscale AI data centers in 2025, while a referendum effort seeks a November statewide construction ban.
5/28/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a pause on new data center tax exemption requests during 2025 review by the Ohio General Assembly Joint Data Center Committee.
5/27/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to freeze new data center sales-tax exemption requests in Ohio while a Joint Data Center Committee studies electric-intensive facilities.
5/27/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell asked the Raleigh City Council to consider a six-month moratorium on large new data centers during an October review in Raleigh, North Carolina.
9/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seattle approved a year-long pause on large-scale data center construction on June 9 after Amazon employees testified, followed by internal investigations after a civil-rights complaint.
6/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Amazon proposed a Manchester, Ohio data center as residents requested a pause over possible well-water contamination during stalled state regulation discussions in the Ohio Senate.
6/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Jonathan Steirer discusses Cleveland's infrastructure readiness for hyperscale data centers after Cleveland denied the city's first hyperscale data center permit, citing transmission capacity and grid reliability constraints.
5/27/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Jackson City Council approved an 183-day data center moratorium after Mississippi residents raised concerns about electricity, water, infrastructure costs, and community impacts.
8/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Legacy Investing is acquiring the former Star Tribune printing plant in Minneapolis's North Loop to develop a data center under the city's downtown exemption.
7/31/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Legacy Investing agreed to acquire Minneapolis's former Minnesota Star Tribune printing facility for a proposed data center conversion amid city restrictions and neighborhood concerns.
6/25/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican legislators are weighing repeal or reduction of statewide data center tax incentives before the 2026 legislative session in Kentucky.
8/31/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and state lawmakers are considering repealing or shortening data center tax incentives statewide ahead of the upcoming legislative session in Kentucky.
8/27/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Louisville Metro Planning Commission is scheduled Thursday to finalize proposed data-center zoning amendments after months of public opposition and a six-month moratorium.
9/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Louisville opposition groups, state lawmakers, and local officials are contesting data-center incentives and zoning rules as the Planning Commission prepares amendments in Louisville, Kentucky, ahead of the 2026 elections.
9/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Kentucky lawmakers and Louisville officials are reassessing data center incentives and development rules after rapid statewide project growth prompted a 180-day Louisville pause and anticipated 2027 legislative action.
8/19/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Minneapolis City Council approved a six-month moratorium on new downtown data centers while zoning and scale rules are studied after public opposition at hearings.
6/21/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Additional
Ohio officials and landowners discussed a deposit and build eminent domain proposal in Columbus, Ohio, as farmers feared expedited land taking for data center-related utility projects.
6/8/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine directed the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to pause new data center tax exemption requests while the Ohio General Assembly Joint Data Center Committee studies growth.
5/28/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Save Ohio Parks, citing Ohio renewable-energy limits, urges Ohio policymakers to impose a moratorium on new data centers as AEP expects major load-driven generation growth.
5/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Earlier this month in Kentucky, House Speaker David Osborne urged lawmakers to evaluate data center tax incentives as analysts warned of billions in potential costs.
8/31/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General