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Last Update: 09/21/2026 at 2:01 PM EST
Fort Worth Reconsiders Data Center Growth
Coverage from Data Center Dynamics, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, and others
Fort Worth is reconsidering how it permits and regulates new data centers after a zoning commission rejected proposed development standards and a majority of council members backed exploring a temporary moratorium.
Officials are weighing updated rules for land use, setbacks, noise, water use, cooling, infrastructure, and economic incentives while reviewing major proposals linked to Black Mountain and Edged Data Centers. The process could delay new approvals and establish tighter requirements, but a moratorium has not been enacted and the final regulatory timeline remains unsettled.
Looking Back
109 Day Timeline
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History
09/04/2026
The story is largely unchanged, but it now clarifies that Texas law limits any moratorium to 90 days, with a possible 90-day extension, and identifies Oncor as involved in planning for the Veale Ranch proposal.
08/24/2026
Fort Worth’s potential moratorium has advanced from preliminary consideration to a formal regulatory process after the Zoning Commission rejected the current ordinance. However, the pause is not yet clearly in effect and could delay projects rather than immediately halt them.
All Articles32 articles
Important
Fort Worth City Council initiated a potential 90-day data center moratorium and created an advisory commission in Fort Worth after concerns about water, power, land use, and neighborhood impacts.
8/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth officials are considering a data center moratorium, advisory commission and grid-approval filing requirement in Fort Worth, Texas, with public hearings and a possible council vote planned.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth officials reassessed data center zoning rules and a potential moratorium after Greg Abbott ordered Texas audits before projects receive grid connections.
8/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth, Texas officials scheduled an Aug. 11 City Council vote on beginning a temporary moratorium process for new data center development amid resident and activist opposition.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth residents can comment until July 15 as City Council considers Aug. 11 data-center regulations and a Texas-required legal moratorium process.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth, Texas, delays City Council votes on new data center regulations and advances water-use rules, including water-loading studies and closed-loop cooling, after zoning commission rejection.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council initiated a state-law moratorium process for new data center applications on July 9 while drafting updated zoning and water-use rules.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth, Texas, prepares updated data-center regulations and a potential temporary moratorium, with City Council review expected in August and a decision no earlier than December.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth, Texas, zoning officials recommended denying a proposed data-center ordinance on July after public testimony, while city leaders planned a moratorium at the Aug. 11 council meeting.
7/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Five Fort Worth City Council members requested a temporary pause on new data center construction after two public meetings and zoning rejection amid noise, water, and energy concerns.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council members supported a temporary moratorium on data center developments, with a decision planned for August after summer break.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth Zoning Commission voted 7-4 on July 8 to recommend denial of proposed data center zoning rules, moving the decision to Fort Worth City Council on Aug. 11.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council members sought a data center moratorium after a July 8 zoning commission vote rejected new zoning code standards.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth Zoning Commission holds a public feedback hearing on new data-center zoning amendments addressing noise, water use, and neighborhood impacts.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council members plan an August vote on a temporary moratorium after a 7-4 zoning commission denial of a supercomputer hub ordinance.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth zoning commissioners voted 7-4 on proposed data center zoning rules, sending the draft to City Council for review after Aug. 4.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council approved data center oversight measures and began a potential moratorium process on August 11, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council created a data center commission on Aug. 11 and began a moratorium process to address electricity, water, land-use, and neighborhood concerns in Fort Worth, Texas.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and the City Council advanced a potential 90-day data center moratorium in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 11, 2026, after zoning commissioners opposed proposed regulations.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth officials formed a commission led by Michael Slattery to recommend data center regulations before the City Council's November 3, 2026, work session.
9/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth City Council members will discuss and vote in August on a proposed 90-day data center moratorium and community task force for Fort Worth, Texas.
7/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth council member Michael Crain requested a June 2 report on data center zoning and utility impacts as residents opposed Edged Data Centers and the tax break application was withdrawn.
5/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Fort Worth’s Wholesale Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee discussed June 11 proposed data center water and wastewater regulations tied to peak-demand conservation and utility capital planning in Texas.
7/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Interesting
Plano, Texas, is advancing a 72 megawatt data center campus during a statewide surge of approved and proposed centers, with grid and environmental concerns driving local calls for moratorium.
7/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
NVIDIA began building an AI supercomputer production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, while Fort Worth City Council prepares to vote Aug. 11 on a temporary data-center construction moratorium.
7/21/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Ethics experts advised Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker to abstain from data center decisions before an Aug. 11 zoning vote, citing public-trust concerns amid limited legal recusal requirements.
6/24/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Abilene, builder Gene Lantrip says Texas AI data center projects like Stargate are driving electrician shortages that delay residential construction as state officials loosen licensing and expand training.
5/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
A University of Houston survey finds Greater Houston residents frequently use AI but nearly 63% oppose nearby data centers due to electricity, grid reliability, and water concerns.
5/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Fort Worth City Council members examine data center proposals on water and electric impacts, slowing projects through zoning, tax, and ERCOT interconnection reviews.
7/16/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
OpenAI Stargate construction in Abilene, Texas, began in Q2 2024 while electrician apprenticeship timelines limit near-term increases in licensed journeyman supply.
7/16/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Additional
Fort Worth appointed a multidisciplinary Data Center & Infrastructure Commission in August to develop recommendations on data center regulation for the City Council.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Fort Worth officials will receive a data center commission briefing on November 3, 2026, before possible public hearings on a city moratorium.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General