[REVISION HISTORY]

US municipal data center moratoriums

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-23 05:38 UTC → 2026-09-03 03:00 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, city officials in Crossville, Tennessee, and Lakeland, Florida, approved temporary bans on new data-center construction, citing grid reliability, noise, and water-use concerns. Crossville approved a 24-month moratorium to allow for unified standards, while Lakeland considered a 12-month suspension across its electric service area to protect utility reliability and affordability. Nashville’s council gave the mayor authority to negotiate with a prospective buyer and threatened eminent domain, while a citywide pause remained in effect through December. Louisville’s planning committee advanced a six-month moratorium for hyperscale sites over 500,000 sq ft. In early August, the trend spread further. Sanford, Maine, extended its emergency moratorium by 180 days, delaying a proposed 1,000-acre data-center at the Sanford Woods campus. Sanpete County, Utah, adopted a six-month pause to draft land-use regulations. Louisville moved its moratorium forward to a full council vote pending comprehensive zoning rules. Nashville’s Metro Council authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire land adjacent to the Nashville Zoo for a DC BLOX project and imposed a temporary moratorium on new permits until December. By mid-August, regulatory scrutiny expanded to Texas and California. San Jose launched a community engagement process to establish development standards, with residents calling for a moratorium to prevent water contamination. In San Antonio, council members requested discussions regarding a potential moratorium due to concerns over electricity demand, water usage, and pollution. This follows a state-level action in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott paused approvals for new data centers and ordered audits of facilities awaiting grid connection. On August 20, the Memphis City Council introduced an ordinance for a 12-month moratorium on new data center development and high-density computing ~~facilities.~~ facilities to allow for reassessments of zoning and utility usage.

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