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Last Update: 10/27/2026 at 5:01 AM EST
Local Data Center Restrictions
Coverage from Box Elder County, Climate Law Blog, and others
Counties and municipalities have used temporary pauses and permitting restrictions to create time to assess proposed data-center projects and develop local rules.
Their reviews commonly address zoning and siting alongside potential demands on water, electricity, roads, and other infrastructure, as well as environmental, health, noise, and quality-of-life concerns. Public hearings and technical studies can inform decisions about how future projects are defined, reviewed, and regulated. The details vary by jurisdiction, from limits on construction or permit processing to studies intended to guide longer-term standards.
Looking Back
151 Day Timeline
May 8
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Jul 22
Aug 15
Sep 11
Oct 5
History
10/09/2026
The current version clarifies that some local pauses extend to construction, while exemptions may protect projects already underway—not just completed or existing projects.
10/06/2026
The story now includes a concrete Pennsylvania dispute showing that statutory hearing deadlines can limit how a local moratorium and zoning changes affect a project.
All Articles63 articles
Important
Box Elder County, Utah, adopted Ordinance No. 654 in 2020s, pausing processing of data center and data center power plant applications for 180 days.
6/10/2026 • 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
Property owners, environmental advocates and Muncy Township supervisors challenged Pennsylvania's deemed-approval rules in Commonwealth Court over a proposed data center campus in Muncy Township; the filing date was not stated.
10/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
York County officials in South Carolina are preparing to seek a data center study and likely extend the moratorium before it expires in mid-April.
10/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
South Carolina counties are proposing or enacting data center moratoriums in 2020s rural communities as statewide lawmakers fail to establish comprehensive rules.
9/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Champaign County officials are drafting regulations for large data centers in Illinois before a moratorium expires in mid-April 2027, following public concerns about water, wildlife, electricity, and environmental impacts.
9/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lycoming County Planning Commission officials and residents discussed Muncy Township deemed approval and curative zoning amendments for proposed data centers in Pennsylvania.
7/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Danko Holdings II, LP and Fishlips, LLC received deemed approval on a Muncy Township conditional use data center application after statutory hearing deadlines were missed in Pennsylvania.
7/18/2026 • 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
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
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
Spartanburg County held a hearing on state environmental review for a NorthMark Strategies data center expansion to 450 MW as other South Carolina counties adopted development moratoriums.
6/26/2026 • 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
Boone County, Indiana commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on new data center applications in unincorporated areas, effective June 16, 2026 through June 15, 2027.
6/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Boone County, Indiana commissioners voted June 15 to impose a one-year moratorium on new data centers while drafting zoning rules, exempting Meta’s LEAP district campus.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Wynee Benedict and Otoe County officials suspended data center permits for up to a year in Nebraska after public concerns about water, power costs, and heat impacts.
5/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Otoe County Nebraska suspended permits for a new data center for up to one year on Tuesday amid resident concerns over water, power demand, and heat impacts.
5/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
The St. Croix County Community Development Committee voted Thursday in Wisconsin to advance a one-year moratorium on medium- and large-scale data centers for zoning review.
8/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Bannock County commissioners paused unincorporated-area data center permitting for 180 days in Idaho on July 30 while staff prepare new zoning regulations.
8/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
The Chisago County Board of Commissioners scheduled an August 5, 2026, hearing in Chisago County, Minnesota, on a proposed one-year data-center zoning moratorium.
8/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Bannock County commissioners enacted a 180-day data center permitting moratorium on July 30, 2026, across unincorporated county areas in Idaho while staff draft new regulations.
7/31/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Muncy Township in Pennsylvania voted for a nine-month moratorium on data centers on April 28 while addressing questions about a zoning permit application dated April 15.
6/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
South Carolina residents and local officials considered year-long data center moratoriums in Orangeburg and Fairfield counties during 2025 public hearings.
9/8/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • 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
Cassville, Wisconsin voters approved a 44-0 two-year ban on proposed data centers after concerns over water use and power costs for a 500-acre project.
5/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Interesting
Champaign County officials formed a task force and enacted a one-year moratorium in April after residents raised electricity and water concerns about potential data centers in Urbana, Illinois.
9/16/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
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
The Lake County Board unanimously approved a temporary data center moratorium in Lake County, Illinois, prompting the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition to seek statewide regulation.
9/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Mattoon City Council imposed a temporary moratorium Tuesday on new data centers larger than 21,780 square feet in Mattoon, Illinois, to study local impacts.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Mattoon City Council approved a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers exceeding 21,780 square feet during a Tuesday meeting in Mattoon, Illinois.
9/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Christian County officials in Taylorville, Illinois, approved a year-long data center restriction after Eagle Rock withdrew a proposed 1,000-megawatt facility because electricity was unavailable.
8/28/2026 • 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
St. Charles County Council introduced a six-month moratorium on large-scale data centers in Missouri while health and infrastructure impact studies are conducted.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles County Council in Missouri introduced a six-month moratorium on large-scale data center proposals and expansions to conduct local impact studies.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Muncy Township Planning Commission in Pennsylvania held an informational meeting to guide creation of a data center siting ordinance after April submissions from DANKO Holdings II and Fishlips LLC.
6/26/2026 • 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
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
Boone County commissioners in Indiana approved a one-year moratorium on new unincorporated data center development on June 15, 2026 to reassess land use and infrastructure impacts.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Broken Arrow City Council will vote on a six-month moratorium starting June 15, 2026 to delay data center applications while zoning and community impact studies are completed.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Lee County supervisors in Iowa discussed seeking legal counsel for a possible six-month moratorium on new data center construction during a Tuesday work session.
6/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Broken Arrow City Council considers a June 15, 2026 six-month moratorium on data center proposals after an expired land purchase letter of intent.
6/12/2026 • 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
Box Elder County commissioners approved an 180-day moratorium on new Utah data centers and power plants on June 10, 2026, exempting the Stratos Project.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Iron County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for Pronghorn Development LLC to build Antelope Data Campus west of Cedar City, Utah.
6/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Otoe County commissioners in Nebraska suspended data center permits for up to a year on May 19 to assess water, power, and heat impacts.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Iron County Commission in Parowan, Utah approved a 180-day pause on data center application processing on May 26, pending regulatory updates.
5/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Iron County Commission in Utah imposed a 180-day ban on processing new or incomplete data center and power-plant applications in 2026 after public concerns during May 14 Cedar City open house.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Otoe County, Nebraska imposed a up-to-one-year moratorium on new data centers after residents including Wynee Benedict raised concerns before the county board.
5/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles, Missouri city council voted 7-1 on Aug. 14 to make a data center moratorium permanent by disallowing data centers under city zoning.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
St. Charles city council voted 7-1 to permanently ban new data center construction on Tuesday night using zoning-based permitting and conditional use prohibitions.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Iron County officials are drafting data center rules in Utah before the county moratorium expires Nov. 22, with a planning commission hearing scheduled for Oct. 8.
9/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Resist A.I. Data Centers in Champaign County hosted a Monday public meeting at Champaign Public Library as residents organized opposition during a countywide data center moratorium.
8/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Resist AI Data Centers in Champaign County held a teach-in Monday in Champaign County, Illinois, as residents opposed development during a county moratorium and siting-rule review.
8/11/2026 • 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
Iron County residents discussed a proposed 640-acre data center west of Cedar City, Utah, during a Planning Commission meeting as officials delayed action pending developer compliance and conditions.
5/8/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Additional
Barnes County, North Dakota imposed a six-month moratorium on new data centers due to power and transparency concerns raised by Valley City officials.
5/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
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