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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Counties Pause Data Center Plans
Coverage from City of Loveland, The Gazette, and others
Counties and municipalities in Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Missouri, and other states are delaying or reviewing data center projects while they develop local rules.
Moratoria generally range from 180 days to 18 months and are intended to assess water supply, electricity capacity, roads, noise, environmental effects, decommissioning, and permitting standards. The pattern shows local governments trying to establish clearer requirements before projects advance, although the scope and legal status of each pause differ.
Looking Back
121 Day Timeline
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History
09/17/2026
The story broadens beyond the previously identified states, with Illinois added and some jurisdictions studying data centers before specific applications arise. It also more explicitly highlights state-level permitting and utility requirements shaping local reviews.
09/07/2026
The story now identifies specific projects and companies affected by the pauses, while clarifying that local actions are regulatory preparation rather than blanket opposition to data centers.
All Articles54 articles
Important
Loveland City Council planned a Sept. 1, 2026 data center study session as council members consider a potential temporary moratorium and align development review and utility large-load approvals.
7/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Linn County, Iowa supervisors approved a July 1 2-1 vote for an 18-month data center moratorium while expanding water-use and planning review requirements.
7/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Worcester County Commissioners voted in Maryland to impose a one-year moratorium on data centers and cable landing facilities while zoning rules are updated for Globalinx and other projects.
7/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sierra County commissioners approved an 18-month moratorium on data centers in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, after resident concerns about water and environmental impacts.
7/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Logan County, Nebraska approved a 12-month moratorium on data center construction Wednesday to revise zoning and comprehensive planning amid water and electric supply concerns.
7/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Pulaski County Quorum Court advances Ordinance 26-I-52 on July 28 after debate over competing moratorium exemptions for hyperscale data center projects.
7/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lawrence city commissioners approved a two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers on July 14, 2026, and started land development code text amendments.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles County approved a six-month ban on large-scale data center development on Monday night, restricting projects above 100000 square feet or 5 megawatts.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cass County Planning Commission recommended a data center moratorium in Nebraska on Monday, proposing industrial zoning, closed-loop water cooling, and megawatt build-out plans for hyperscale permits.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles County Council approved a six-month data center moratorium on new projects in Missouri after residents raised concerns during public hearings.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oshkosh Common Council to vote July 14 on a temporary moratorium for new hyperscale AI data centers after a zoning text amendment proposal from Alec Lefeber.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Larimer County, Colorado considered extending a data-center moratorium through Feb. 27 during a June 29 work session after survey results and community concerns about water and costs.
7/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners voted on July 2, 2026 to impose an 18-month data center development moratorium, cutting the review threshold to one megawatt and tightening environmental protections.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners adopted an 18-month data center development moratorium on Tuesday, lowering the threshold to one megawatt while assessing water, land, and grid impacts.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners adopted an immediate 18-month moratorium on data center permits on Tuesday while staff develop water, energy, and noise regulations.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cache County, Utah implemented a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications effective immediately after a June 23 council vote.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seward County, Nebraska commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction Tuesday to allow zoning and water review planning under Nebraska LB663 permitting timelines.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seward County commissioners in Nebraska approved a 12-month data center moratorium on construction and permits while new planning regulations are developed.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Gage County Planning and Zoning Commission approved an 18-month data center moratorium in Beatrice, Nebraska, pending new permitting and construction regulations.
6/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Pinson City Council enacted a one-year moratorium Thursday in Pinson, Alabama, to review zoning and infrastructure requirements for proposed large-scale data centers.
8/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Chippewa County officials in Wisconsin proposed a 10-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers to update zoning rules before applications are submitted.
7/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Worcester County commissioners imposed a 12-month moratorium on July 21, 2026, suspending data center and cable landing station permits in Worcester County, Maryland.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cass County, Nebraska, advocates requested an 18-month planning hold on a Tenaska and Google data center and natural gas power plant proposal after limited specifications and concerns about water and environmental impacts.
7/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Interesting
Lake County officials approved an eight-month moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Lake County, Illinois, through May 2027, after extensive public input.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing challenged Imperial County's data center moratorium in El Centro, California, while officials review land-use and water impacts through June 2027.
7/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Topeka City Manager Robert Perez said a July 28 meeting will follow Compass Datacenters' July 24 Conditional Use Permit filing for a Wakarusa-area data center.
7/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sierra County, New Mexico imposed an 18-month moratorium on new data center development on Tuesday after a unanimous county commission vote amid concerns tied to Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Pinson City Council proposed a 12-month data center moratorium on first reading Thursday at City Hall, with further details scheduled for an August meeting.
7/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Leon County commissioners approved an 18-month moratorium on large-scale data centers on Tuesday to assess impacts before long-term siting decisions.
7/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Rosa County commissioners in Florida held a July 9 hearing and advanced a one-year data center development moratorium to prepare a legally defensible permanent policy tied to groundwater and grid concerns.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Walker County commissioners proposed a 30-day moratorium on new data center applications in Georgia while reviewing zoning regulations and infrastructure impacts.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lawrence city commissioners will vote July 14 on a one-year moratorium blocking new data center permits, with exceptions for property-specific requests.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Greenwood County, South Carolina, approved a one-year moratorium and stricter zoning limits for data center projects on a 4-3 vote, restricting sites in industrial districts.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter urged a moratorium on new data-center approvals as Clark County Commission discussed application process and approval criteria in unincorporated Clark County on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles County Council considers a six-month moratorium on large-scale data centers by vote potentially scheduled for July 13 after a countywide public hearing and impact study.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Linn County Iowa supervisors voted two to one on a data center moratorium on Wednesday after public comment and amendments, with differing views on water and power transparency.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners approved an 18-month moratorium on data center developments in New Mexico to prepare water and grid impact guardrails.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners proposed a one-year moratorium on large data center projects to address water and energy use concerns, scheduled for commission consideration in Santa Fe.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Oshkosh, Wisconsin officials plan drafting for a potential data center moratorium after resident water and land-use concerns, aligning with a Winnebago County 12-month pause.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Seward County commissioners planned a June 30 vote on a data-center moratorium after citing power and water constraints and the need for new performance standards.
6/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Jackson County lawmakers in Missouri will vote Monday at the Jackson County Courthouse on a 180-day moratorium banning new data centers and battery energy storage construction.
6/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lake County Board voted to pursue a temporary data center moratorium in unincorporated Lake County, Illinois, pending ordinance hearings on definitions and an eight-month limit.
6/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Grand County commissioners in Utah placed a data center construction moratorium through June 2027 while preparing 1041 regulation amendment requests for solar, wind, and data centers.
6/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
La Crosse County, Wisconsin approved an 18-month data center moratorium in 2026 to pause decisions while a one-year study committee evaluates local impacts.
6/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Carroll County, Arkansas approved an emergency ordinance on Tuesday to impose a 12-month moratorium on data-center-like facility construction while new local permitting rules are drafted.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lake County, Illinois, began a public hearing process in 2026 for a proposed temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas, with a hearing planned for later this summer.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners in New Mexico considered a year-long moratorium to pause new data center development while land-use and environmental standards are prepared.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Maryland county officials considered extending a six-month data center construction moratorium at a County Council Economic Development Committee meeting in late June.
7/21/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cass County, Nebraska planning commissioners recommended a data center zoning ordinance and moratorium after resident opposition at a public meeting at Cass County Fairgrounds.
7/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cass County, Nebraska residents and farmers urged a permitting pause for a proposed Tenaska-linked data center after Tenaska optioned 1,300+ acres along Highway 75.
7/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Loveland, Colorado held public information efforts in July 2026 and scheduled a September 1, 2026 council work session to review data center zoning and impact planning.
7/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Coffey County Commission in Kansas approved a one-year data-center moratorium in response to growing concerns over utilities and resource impacts.
5/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Loveland City Council will begin public study sessions on September 1, 2026, in Loveland, Colorado, to evaluate data center impacts and potential policies before applications are submitted.
8/27/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Loveland, Colorado plans a Sept. 1, 2026 public council work session on data center impacts while preparing development review and power large-load approval steps.
7/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General