Utah Data Center Moratorium Tracker
Utah has 2 state-level data-center restrictions in force. 10 city and county measures are tracked here, 9 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 Utah
Every statewide moratorium, pause, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback in Utah we can verify against a primary source. Strongest status first.
| Measure | Status | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 76Utah: In Utah, Governor Cox signed HB 76 on March 23, 2026, Requiring new data centers (10,000+ sq ft) to notify water providers of projected demands | In force 2026-02 | In Utah, Governor Cox signed HB 76 on March 23, 2026, Requiring new data centers (10,000+ sq ft) to notify water providers of projected demands and report actual water consumption annually to the state. Sponsored by Rep. Jill Koford (R-Ogden), the bill nearly failed in the Senate but passed after being amended to apply only to new facilities. The bill had unanimous support in the House and was part of a broader legislative push to protect Great Salt Lake and conserve water. | |
| Executive Order 2026-03A higher bar for data-center development | In force 2026-05 | Gov. Cox created a Data Center Framework directing agencies to apply heightened review for water (Great Salt Lake), air quality, ratepayers, and wildlife, plus a new unused-water provision. This raises the siting bar rather than imposing a hard ban. |
City and county moratoria in Utah
Most of the movement is local, where a building pause or permit halt does not need a legislative session. 10 tracked measures in Utah, each with its source.
Where Utah stands
Across the whole tracker we hold 334 state-level measures in 49 states and 1253 city and county measures, against 1419 primary sources. Utah accounts for 2 of the state-level measures and 10 of the local ones.
By total measures on record it is #36 of the 50 states and DC carrying any tracked action, and #33 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 Utah
12 citations behind the entries above. Each opens in a new tab.
- Statewide · HB 76 — Utah: In Utah, Governor Cox signed HB 76 on March 23, 2026, Requiring new data centers (10,000+ sq ft) to notify water providers of projected demands le.utah.gov →
- Statewide · Executive Order 2026-03 — A higher bar for data-center development governor.utah.gov →
- Box Elder County — 180-day data center moratorium sltrib.com →
- Box Elder County (180-day data center moratorium; Stratos/MIDA exempt), UT — Box Elder County (180-day data center moratorium; Stratos/MIDA exempt), UT data center moratorium ksl.com →
- Cache County — 180-day data center moratorium hjnews.com →
- Clearfield — City moratorium on data centers through March 7, 2027 standard.net →
- Grand County — Local moratorium on data centers through January 3, 2027 moabtimes.com →
- Logan — Local moratorium on data centers through December 27, 2026 loganutah.gov →
- Milford — City moratorium on data centers through December 13, 2026 utah.gov →
- Salt Lake County — Proposed 180-day data center temporary land use regulation sltrib.com →
- Wayne County — Local moratorium on data centers through January 17, 2027 ironcountytoday.com →
- Iron County — Iron County is making new rules while data center development is paused news.google.com →
What does bind large loads in Utah
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. Utah sits in 2 footprints.
PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power non-RTO (WECC); Deseret Power joined SPP RTO West 4/1/2026.
States next door
6 of the 6 states bordering Utah 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 Utah
The US Data Center Map identifies 49 facilities run by 20 operators in Utah, each one placed from primary sources and listed by city and by operator, with the measures on this page beside them.
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 Utah? 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 Utah 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 Utah site