South Dakota Data Center Moratorium Tracker
South Dakota has 2 state-level data-center restrictions in force. 1 more bill is pending. 5 city and county measures are tracked here, 1 of them in force. Every entry below links to its primary source: a legislature page, a governor's office, a local government, or the reporting of record.
State-level measures in South Dakota
Every statewide moratorium, pause, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback in South Dakota we can verify against a primary source. Strongest status first.
| Measure | Status | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1005South Dakota: In South Dakota, multiple data center bills saw different outcomes: HB 1005 (50-year sales tax exemption for data centers) was rejected 9-3 | In force 2026-02 | In South Dakota, multiple data center bills saw different outcomes: HB 1005 (50-year sales tax exemption for data centers) was rejected 9-3 in House State Affairs Committee. SB 232 (one-year moratorium) passed committee but was killed in full Senate vote. SB 135 ('Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens' from Sen. Karr) passed committee 5-4 - it would set protections for utility ratepayers and resources while banning tax exemptions for data centers. Bills addressing noise levels, minimum distances from residences, and water/electricity regulation were also halted. | |
| SB 135Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens | In force 2026-03 | Signed by Gov. Rhoden on March 30, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026. Requires data centers with peak electrical demand of 10 MW or greater to pay for any rate increases they cause, adds water use regulation, and prohibits the state from limiting local governments' authority to regulate or ban data centers. Lawmakers passed it after rejecting the SB 232 statewide moratorium, moving that decision to localities instead. | |
| HB1301Limit costs and risks associated with electricity use by data centers and impose a moratorium. | Proposed 2026-02 | South Dakota HB1301 (2026 Regular Session): Limit costs and risks associated with electricity use by data centers and impose a moratorium.. Last action 2026-02-18: State Affairs Deferred to the 41st legislative day, Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 2.. | |
| SB 232One-year hyperscale data center moratorium | Failed / vetoed 2026-02 | Would impose a one-year moratorium on new or expanded hyperscale data centers; stalled in committee. SD instead enacted SB 135 protecting local governments' authority to regulate or ban data centers. |
City and county moratoria in South Dakota
Most of the movement is local, where a building pause or permit halt does not need a legislative session. 5 tracked measures in South Dakota, each with its source.
Where South Dakota stands
Across the whole tracker we hold 334 state-level measures in 49 states and 1253 city and county measures, against 1419 primary sources. South Dakota accounts for 4 of the state-level measures and 5 of the local ones.
By total measures on record it is #39 of the 50 states and DC carrying any tracked action, and #39 by city and county measures alone. Ranking is by count of sourced entries in this dataset, so it measures documented activity, not the size of the buildout.
Sources for South Dakota
9 citations behind the entries above. Each opens in a new tab.
- Statewide · HB 1005 — South Dakota: In South Dakota, multiple data center bills saw different outcomes: HB 1005 (50-year sales tax exemption for data centers) was rejected 9-3 kelo.com →
- Statewide · SB 135 — Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens sdpb.org →
- Statewide · HB1301 — Limit costs and risks associated with electricity use by data centers and impose a moratorium. sdlegislature.gov →
- Statewide · SB 232 — One-year hyperscale data center moratorium legiscan.com →
- Yankton County — Six-month data center and crypto moratorium ktiv.com →
- Minnehaha County — Proposed county moratorium on data centers siouxfallslive.com →
- Sioux Falls — Temporary moratorium on data center building permits pending new ordinances tsln.com →
- Yankton County (temporary data center moratorium, first reading), SD — Yankton County (temporary data center moratorium, first reading), SD data center moratorium (proposed) kynt1450.com →
- Lincoln County — Lincoln County data center moratorium (failed) mitchellrepublic.com →
What does bind large loads in South Dakota
A moratorium is only one way a data center gets stopped. The grid operator decides whether it can connect at all, and on what terms. South Dakota sits in 2 footprints.
Black Hills (Rapid City), NorthWestern SD, and Basin/East River co-op territory SPP; Xcel (Sioux Falls) and Otter Tail areas MISO. Split is close — no public state load-share figure located; SPP dominance inferred from…
States next door
6 of the 6 states bordering South Dakota have at least one data-center measure on record. Restrictions tend to travel between neighbors, so this is usually where the next one comes from.
Data centers in South Dakota
The US Data Center Map identifies 11 facilities run by 5 operators in South Dakota, each one placed from primary sources and listed by city and by operator, with the measures on this page beside them.
Open the South Dakota data center map → · The US Data Center Map →
How to read this page
In force = a moratorium, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback that is currently enacted, by statute or executive order. Paused = a temporary hold on new incentives or applications. Proposed = introduced and still pending. Failed / vetoed = died in committee, was voted down, or was vetoed.
This page is generated from the same primary-sourced dataset as the national U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker and is re-checked on the same weekly cycle, whether or not anything changed. Legislative status changes quickly; it is informational, not legal advice. Spot something out of date in South Dakota? Tell us.
Companion references: the Data Center Grid Operator Watchlist for the interconnection and curtailment rules that bind here, the Data Center Water Tracker for water mandates, and the Data Center Delay Watchlist for named projects.
Why South Dakota is pushing back
The objections repeat from state to state: strain on the electric grid, water drawn for cooling, and the sense that a facility takes local resources without giving much back. SAVRN builds AI factories designed around those three objections: on-site power that does not lean on the public grid, direct-to-chip cooling that does not consume municipal water, and a training institute that puts local people to work inside the building.
See how a SAVRN factory works Talk to us about a South Dakota site