Moratorium Tracker Update, October 19, 2026: Local and State Actions on Data Center Development in October 2026

The U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker was refreshed on October 19, 2026. This is the record of what changed since the previous refresh on October 12, 2026. Every entry below links to the primary source behind it.

In October 2026, multiple local governments and state lawmakers introduced or approved moratoriums on data center development, citing concerns about infrastructure, environmental impacts, and community effects.

Featured in this update

Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Development in Pettis County

The Pettis County Commission passed a temporary moratorium on data center development on October 14, 2026. The moratorium applies to projects involving at least 30 acres of unincorporated county land and/or $5 million in value. It remains in effect until an economic development and environmental impact study is completed and reviewed by the Commission. Source

Proposed Nine-Month Moratorium on Hyper-Data Centers in Barron County

An opinion piece in the Rice Lake Chronotype advocates for a nine-month moratorium on hyper-data centers in Barron County. The piece cites concerns about property values, electric rates, and infrastructure impact. No formal vote or enactment is described in the text. Source

12-Month Moratorium on Data Center Construction in South Elgin

The South Elgin Village Board unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data center construction on October 5, 2026. The moratorium was approved while staff evaluates potential impacts. The Planning and Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval following a public hearing on September 16. Source

Proposed 12-Month Moratorium on Data Center Development in Dade City

Dade City commissioners approved the first reading of a proposed ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on new data center development. The pause would allow time to study impacts on water and electrical infrastructure. If adopted on second reading, the moratorium would halt submission and acceptance of related permits and applications. Source

Three-Year Moratorium on Data Center Approvals in Virginia

State lawmakers filed Senate Bill 843 to propose a three-year moratorium on approving new data centers in Virginia, starting July 1, 2027. The bill would block local and state agency approvals for data center and related power infrastructure projects. No vote has occurred as of October 2026. Source

Where the count stands

Of the 49 states with a state-level measure on the tracker, 35 have a restriction in force, 1 are under an active administrative pause, 8 have a measure pending, and 5 saw their most advanced measure fail or be vetoed.

New state measures this period

• Oklahoma, SB 1888: Bill proposes three-year moratorium on data center development. State Senator Kendal Sacchieri introduced Senate Bill 1888 on October 11, 2026, proposing a three-year moratorium on new data center construction in Oklahoma until November 1, 2029, to allow time for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to study long-term impacts on infrastructure and resources. Source
• Virginia, SB 843: Three-Year Statewide Moratorium on New Data Center Development. Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) introduced Senate Bill 843 during the upcoming General Assembly session to impose a three-year moratorium on new data center development across Virginia, aiming to allow time for developing comprehensive regulations addressing environmental, infrastructure, and community impacts. The bill was submitted shortly before the rally held on October 17, 2026, in Leesburg, where supporters advocated for its passage. Source
• Virginia, SB843: State-Wide Data Center Moratorium Bill. Sen. Russet Perry (D-31) introduced draft legislation (SB843) on October 13, 2026, that would enact a three-year state-wide moratorium on data center development, prohibiting localities from granting approvals for data center applications requiring rezoning or permits, and blocking state-level permits related to data center siting or infrastructure. The bill is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2027, and sunset July 1, 2030. No vote has been taken yet; the bill remains in draft form. Source
• Virginia, Senate Bill 843: Three-Year Moratorium on Data Center Approvals. State Senator Russet Perry (D-31) filed Senate Bill 843 for the 2027 General Assembly session, proposing a three-year moratorium on approving new data centers in Virginia and prohibiting state agencies from issuing related permits. The bill aims to allow time for developing a comprehensive state plan to address environmental, infrastructure, and economic concerns. It has not yet been voted on and remains pending in the legislative process. Source

New local measures this period

• Brighton, CO: 180-day moratorium on data center permit applications. The Brighton City Council is considering a 180-day moratorium on accepting, processing, or approving applications for permits, licenses, zoning, or other land use for data centers; the first reading of the proposed ordinance is scheduled for October 6, 2026, with final reading on October 20, 2026. Source
• Grand County, CO: Continuation of data center moratorium pending rule development. Grand County commissioners unanimously continued the county’s data center moratorium during a workshop on October 13, 2026, while directing staff to develop strict special use permit rules; no final regulations were adopted and no specific project was approved or rejected. Source
• Littleton, CO: Proposed Six-Month Moratorium on New Data Center Development. Littleton City Council scheduled a first reading of a proposed six-month moratorium on new data center development for Tuesday, October 19, 2026, with a public hearing and second reading set for November 3, 2026; the measure aims to halt new projects while city staff study environmental and infrastructure impacts and draft new zoning standards. Source
• Broward County, FL: One-Year Moratorium on Large-Scale Data Centers in Unincorporated Broward County. Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher placed a proposal on the agenda to enact a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data center development in unincorporated parts of the county; the measure is pending commission discussion and vote. Source
• Dade City, FL: 12-month moratorium on new data center development. Dade City commissioners approved the first reading of a proposed ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on new data center development to allow time to study impacts on water and electrical infrastructure; the pause would halt submission and acceptance of permits and related applications if adopted on second reading. Source
• Liberty County, GA: 120-day moratorium on data centers. Liberty County commissioners approved a 120-day moratorium on data centers at their Thursday night meeting; the moratorium halts all permits and applications for data centers for the next 120 days while officials review and potentially amend existing ordinances. Source
• South Elgin, IL: Temporary 12-month moratorium on data center construction. The South Elgin Village Board unanimously approved a 12-month temporary moratorium on data center construction on October 5, 2026, while staff evaluates potential impacts; the Planning and Zoning Commission had unanimously recommended approval following a public hearing on September 16. Source
• South Berwick, ME: 180-day data center moratorium. The South Berwick Town Council voted 4-0 to adopt an 180-day moratorium on data center development, retroactive to July 14, 2026, to allow time for studying impacts and drafting permanent regulations. Source
• East Longmeadow, MA: Direct planning board to draft zoning rules for large computing centers. The East Longmeadow Town Council voted unanimously (6-0) to direct the planning board to draft zoning rules for large computing centers; no existing policy changes were enacted, and the planning board must first recommend a bylaw before the council votes on it. Source
• Pettis County, MO: Temporary moratorium on data center development. The Pettis County Commission passed a temporary moratorium on data center development on October 14, 2026, according to a press release. The moratorium applies to projects involving at least 30 acres of unincorporated county land and/or $5 million in value, and remains in effect until an economic development and/or environmental impact study is completed and reviewed by the Commission. Source
• Cranbury, NJ: Cranbury Township ban on data centers. The Cranbury Township Committee voted to prohibit data centers within town limits; the vote followed months of organizing by local residents and the Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), though the exact vote count is not stated. Source
• Butler Twp., PA: Butler Twp. Data Center Ordinance Approved. The Butler Twp. Board of Supervisors approved a data center ordinance on Tuesday, October 19, 2026, permitting data centers by special exception only in the Industrial (I) Zoning District, with specific requirements including a 25-acre minimum lot area, 100-foot setbacks, 600-foot separation from sensitive receptors, and a 50-foot building height limit. Source
• Penn Township, PA: Ordinance restricting data center development. Penn Township’s board of supervisors adopted an ordinance on October 13, 2026, restricting data center development to conditional use only in the I-L zoning district, with requirements for public water/sewer connections, noise limits, on-site power, and environmental impact studies. Source
• Ellensburg, WA: Six-Month Moratorium on New Data Centers. The Ellensburg City Council unanimously voted to enact a six-month emergency moratorium on new data center construction within city limits, effective immediately following the vote on October 7, 2026, and set to expire on April 5, 2027. The decision followed a report by Community Development Director Dan Carlson highlighting the lack of distinct regulatory definitions for data centers and community concerns about their environmental and infrastructure impacts. Source
• Barron County, WI: 9-month moratorium on hyper-data centers. An opinion piece in the Rice Lake Chronotype advocates for a nine-month moratorium on hyper-data centers in Barron County, citing concerns about property values, electric rates, and infrastructure impact; no formal vote or enactment is described in the text. Source

Status changes, local measures

• San Joaquin County, CA: Proposed to Paused. San Joaquin County supervisors unanimously adopted a 45-day urgency moratorium on new data center approvals in unincorporated areas, effective October 2026, while staff conduct a six-month study of potential impacts. The pause blocks land-use approvals for qualifying data centers but exempts smaller-scale infrastructure for essential services. Source
• Arvada, CO: Proposed to In force. Arvada City Council passed an 18-month moratorium on data centers using more than 10 megawatts of power on October 6, 2024. The moratorium allows exemptions for smaller facilities deemed accessory to primary uses, and includes a study period to assess impacts before policy recommendations are made. Source
• Dover, DE: Proposed to In force. The Dover City Council adopted an 18-month moratorium on data centers, introduced by Councilwoman Donyale Hall; the ordinance was largely symbolic as no active proposals were pending. The measure was enacted in October 2026, making Dover the first Delaware municipality to impose such a pause. Source
• Leon County, FL: Proposed to Paused. Leon County commissioners unanimously approved an 18-month pause on new, large-scale data center applications in unincorporated areas of the county on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to allow staff time to study impacts and develop new regulations. Source
• Tazewell County, IL: Proposed to Paused. Tazewell County’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted to approve a nine-month moratorium on data center applications, sending it to the land use committee for recommendation to the county board. The committee is expected to recommend approval at its October 28 meeting, with the moratorium set to expire on July 27, 2027. Source
• New Hanover Township, NJ: Proposed to In force. The Hanover Township Committee unanimously adopted Ordinance 33-2026 on October 8, 2026, to minimize the potential negative effects of large-scale data center development by establishing new land-use and zoning regulations specific to such facilities. Source
• City of Buffalo, NY: Proposed to In force. The City of Buffalo Common Council passed a two-year data center moratorium in October 2026, alongside establishing a nine-member task force to develop regulatory standards. The moratorium is intended to pause new developments while zoning and other rules are updated. Source
• Mount Pleasant, SC: Proposed to In force. The Mount Pleasant Town Council unanimously voted to enact a two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers during its Oct. 13, 2026 meeting, with Councilmember Jake Rambo amending the original one-year proposal to extend it to two years; the moratorium applies only to primary-use data centers exceeding 1 megawatt and excludes small, ancillary operations such as Mount Pleasant Waterworks’ solar-powered facility. Source
• Durbin Township, ND: Proposed to In force. The Durbin Township Board unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on industrial developments including data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, solar and wind energy facilities, battery energy storage systems, and industrial/municipal/commercial pipelines. The measure was adopted on October 14, 2026, during a special meeting held at the Mapleton Community Center. Source

Removals

No entries were removed. The tracker merges forward: a sourced entry stays on the list unless a new source shows its status changed or it was formally repealed.

How this tracker is maintained

The tracker is refreshed weekly. Every entry requires a verifiable primary source: a legislature page, a governor’s office, a local government record, or established news reporting. Entries are merged rather than replaced, so a measure verified in an earlier week is not dropped because a later pass did not resurface it. Where a measure is single-sourced or a date could not be independently confirmed, the entry says so.

The full dataset, with a filterable map and all 1393 citations, is at the U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker. The complete source list is at the tracker’s sources page.