Tracker · Updated November 4, 2026
US data center moratorium tracker pauses, orders and large-load rules
Pacific Software Ventures' newsroom reads the orders, filings and dockets behind data center restrictions. This page collects them, with the trigger, the status and the primary source for each.
The short answer. This tracker lists 17 moratoriums and pauses, 13 of them passed or in effect, and New York's order is the first statewide freeze we reported. The most common state trigger is 25 MW, used by Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Download the data as CSV. It is free to reuse with a link back. This is not a complete list of every local measure, and it is not legal advice.
17 records
Moratoriums and pauses on new data centers
A government has stopped, or is about to decide whether to stop, new applications or permits.
| Where | What happened | Trigger | Until | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (statewide) | Executive Order 62 pauses state environmental permits for new hyperscale data centers while the state writes a study and standards. | 50 MW or more | Up to one year from July 14, 2026 | In effect | July 14, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Texas (statewide) | The governor told the state environmental agency to pause all data center permits until ERCOT finishes its review, and said no other agency should move forward with approvals. | All data center projects | No end date. ERCOT's report is due December 10, 2026 | In effect | September 21, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | City Council extended its moratorium on new data center applications. Projects approved before June 8 and existing facilities are not covered. | New applications | October 18, 2027 | In effect | October 26, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| San Francisco, California | Urgency ordinance File No. 261021 bars any city approval for a data center, with exceptions for accessory computing and repair of existing sites. | All new approvals | 45 days from about October 16, 2026. Check for an extension | In effect | October 16, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Anne Arundel County, Maryland | Bill 63-26 stops the county accepting new data center applications and repeals a 2022 tax break on data center equipment. | New applications | January 31, 2028 at the latest | Passed | October 5, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma | Citizens voted on Resolution 100326ATC-004, a moratorium on new data centers on tribal land. News 9 reported it passed 261 to 83. | All new data centers on tribal land | Three years from October 3, 2026, or a later safeguarding resolution | Passed | October 3, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Loudoun County, Virginia | The board voted 7-1-1 to have staff draft a resolution pausing new legislative data center applications while it rewrites its zoning rules. Update: The county deferred the resolution from its October 20 meeting to November 17. Loudoun County notice | New legislative applications | Up to 12 months if adopted | Pending | September 15, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Seattle, Washington | City Council passed an emergency ordinance pausing new large data centers while the city studies their effects. | Over 20 megavolt-amperes of power capacity | One year from June 2026. The council may extend it six months | In effect | June 9, 2026 | Seattle City Council |
| Denver, Colorado | Council Bill 26-0431 pauses applications for new primary-use data centers and expansions, while a working group drafts rules. | New primary-use data centers and expansions | May 21, 2027, unless rules arrive sooner or the council extends it | In effect | May 18, 2026 | Holland & Knight |
| Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana | The Metropolitan Development Commission approved a moratorium on new data centers. The three projects already approved are unaffected. | New data center approvals | At least December 31, 2027 | In effect | August 19, 2026 | WFYI |
| Cleveland, Ohio | City Council extended its pause on new standalone data centers and expansions of existing ones, while the city writes rules. | Standalone, principal-use data centers | January 29, 2027 | In effect | October 19, 2026 | Government Technology |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | City Council paused new data centers across most of the city. Downtown projects of 350,000 square feet or less are exempt. | New data centers outside the downtown exemption | Reported to run until November 2026. Check for an extension | In effect | June 25, 2026 | MPR News |
| Montgomery County, Maryland | The 11-member County Council voted unanimously for an 18-month moratorium on data center development. | Data center development | 18 months from adoption | Passed | July 28, 2026 | WTOP |
| Prince George's County, Maryland | The County Council barred its planning department from considering or approving data center applications. | Data center applications | Up to two years, or until the council passes rules | Passed | July 7, 2026 | Inside Climate News |
| New York (legislature) | The legislature passed S10642 and A11560, a one-year pause reaching smaller projects than the governor's order. Instead of acting on it, the governor issued Executive Order 62. | 20 MW or more of peak demand | Not signed as of the source's July 23 update | Pending | June 4, 2026 | Davis Polk |
| Maine (statewide) | The legislature passed LD 307, a statewide moratorium. The governor vetoed it, and the override failed on April 29. Her stated objection was the lack of an exemption for a project in Jay. | Larger than 20 MW | Would have run to November 2027 | Vetoed | April 24, 2026 | Maine Morning Star |
| Georgia (statewide) | Keisha Lance Bottoms, who campaigned on a statewide pause on new data center construction, won the governor's race. Democrats also won a 3 to 2 majority on the Public Service Commission. | Not yet defined | No order issued as of this story | Watch | November 3, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
5 records
State orders and zoning that set conditions
Projects can still proceed, but only on new terms.
| Where | What happened | Trigger | Until | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Executive Order 658 bars state permits until a data center conforms with the governor's framework and files a reviewed community benefits agreement. | Above 25 MW of peak demand | See the order | In effect | September 8, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Maryland | Executive Order 01.01.2026.16 puts each project through one state review, graded on a public dashboard. The governor will ask lawmakers to repeal the 2020 sales tax exemption. | 25 MW or more | See the order | In effect | September 23, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Pennsylvania | Executive Order 2026-05 removes data centers from the Permit Fast Track Program. The state will not issue a permit until local approvals are in hand. | Over 25 MW of peak demand | See the order | In effect | August 18, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Prince William County, Virginia | Zoning amendment DPA2026-00006 closes the data center overlay to expansion and routes new data centers outside it through a special use permit. The overlay shrinks by about 64 percent. | New data centers outside the overlay | Zoning amendment, no end date | In effect | September 22, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Prince William County, Virginia | The Court of Appeals of Virginia held the three Digital Gateway rezoning ordinances void from the beginning, over a defective hearing notice. QTS later said it was terminating the project. | One project, about 22 million square feet | Final: the county chose not to appeal | Struck down | March 31, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
7 records
Grid and federal rules on large loads
Who pays for power, and who gets it first.
| Where | What happened | Trigger | Until | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (ERCOT) | A verification and audit of every data center in the interconnection process. The Public Utility Commission suspended the Batch Zero classification deadlines. | Data centers in ERCOT's queue | See the order | In effect | August 20, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| PJM region (FERC) | FERC accepted a 50 MW large load definition and a registry, and rejected the curtailment service and the requirement to bring new capacity. | 50 MW | Registry took effect October 12, 2026 | Accepted in part | October 9, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | The board moved data centers onto their own rate. Officials described a roughly 10 percent increase and an upfront capacity charge. TVA's own release names none of those terms. | New load above 5 MW, as described | October 1 start, as described | In effect | August 20, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Wisconsin | The state commission approved a Very Large Customer tariff in docket 6630-TE-113 and made it mandatory. | 100 MW or more of annual demand | See the order | In effect | September 4, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Arizona (APS) | Microsoft told regulators that APS has been unable to commit to serve any new large load customer since January 1, 2024. APS's own brief describes a large queue of uncommitted customers. | New large loads | Rate case pending | Watch | August 27, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| United States (House) | H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, would make campuses pay the full incremental cost of grid upgrades. The House passed it 417 to 3. A senator blocked fast passage the next day. | 100 MW or more | Not law | Pending | September 16, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| United States (Senate) | The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would make large computing loads bear the full incremental cost of power and let states auction service. | 20 MW or more | Introduced, not law | Proposed | September 30, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
12 campuses
Campuses where the record has a catch
Large projects from the same coverage, with the size and money as stated, and what the documents add.
| Campus | Parties | Size | Money | What the record says | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HyperionRichland Parish, Louisiana | Meta | About 5 GW, 10 million square feet | More than $50 billion | Meta's own stated figures. | July 14, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| PORTS Technology CampusPike County, Ohio | SB Energy, with an OpenAI affiliate as tenant | About 4.25 GW of IT load | NVIDIA guaranties capped at $105 billion | 20-year lease, backed by NVIDIA residual value guaranties. | August 17, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Project CamelliaEffingham County, Georgia | OpenAI | 3.2 GW | $20 billion | The county said five days later that no completed application had been submitted. | July 22, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Project MatadorCarson County, Texas | Fermi, with TensorWave as first tenant | 222 MW first lease | About $6.5 billion of contracted revenue | Initial 15-year term. A corrected release dropped a sentence about a guarantee. | August 10, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Paducah SiteWestern Kentucky | U.S. Department of Energy, Brookfield, NextEra | Up to 1.8 GW of utility capacity, more than 1.2 GW of compute | Above $100 billion, as stated | No tenant named. | July 29, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| El Paso campusEl Paso, Texas | Meta, BlackRock funds | 1 GW | About $14 billion | BlackRock funds own 80 percent. Meta's filing shows about $13 billion of residual value guarantees. | July 28, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Beacon PointNueces County, Texas | Hut 8 | 1 GW campus | $9.8 billion base-term value on the second lease | Fully leased to one investment-grade tenant, per Hut 8. | July 20, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Muskie Data CampusEastern Kentucky | TeraWulf, Kentucky Power | 1 GW contracted, up from 500 MW | See the source | Subject to state utility regulators. | October 1, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Barber LakeColorado City, Texas | Cipher Digital, Fluidstack, an unnamed AI lab | 300 MW | About $5.2 billion of added contracted revenue | The unnamed lab committed to years 11 to 20. | September 25, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Project EagleGlendale, Arizona | City of Glendale case ZON26-05 | About 160 acres, with eighteen natural gas turbines | See the source | Next to Luke Air Force Base. Turbines would power it until APS builds a substation, anticipated in 2030. Update: The City Council approved the project at its October 27 meeting. KJZZ | September 24, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| NAVWAR Old Town CampusSan Diego, California | Manchester Financial Group, U.S. Navy | 400 MW explored, on 70.3 acres | See the source | The developer says no agreements are in place. A congressman opposes it. | October 15, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
| Project JupiterDoña Ana County, New Mexico | Stack Infrastructure, Oracle | See the source | See the source | Oracle sent a force majeure notice that reportedly lets it defer some rent if power is late. | September 26, 2026 | Primary source PSV story |
Method
How we built this tracker
Most rows come from a story in the Pacific Software Ventures newsroom, which reads the underlying order, filing, docket or ordinance. The source link goes to that document where one is public, and otherwise to the first source the story cites. Measures the newsroom has not covered link the government page, law firm note or local report we read, named in the row, so check those against the official record.
Status is as of the date shown, unless an update says otherwise. We add a row when the newsroom reports a new action, and we do not add rows from memory. Dollar and megawatt figures are what the companies and governments state, and we attribute them.
For a wider count of local fights, see Data Center Watch. For state legislation, see the Rockefeller Institute. To report an error or a measure we missed, send us the source document.
Cite as: Pacific Software Ventures, US Data Center Moratorium Tracker, updated November 4, 2026, https://pacificsoftwareventures.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker.
Frequently asked
Data center moratoriums, answered
- Which states have a data center moratorium?
- New York's Executive Order 62 pauses state environmental permits for new data centers of 50 MW or more, for up to one year. In Texas, the governor directed the state's environmental agency to pause data center permits until ERCOT finishes its review. Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania set conditions rather than a pause. Maine's legislature passed a moratorium, but the governor vetoed it.
- Which cities and counties have a data center moratorium?
- Among those listed here: Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Charlotte and San Francisco, and Montgomery, Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland. Many smaller towns and counties have them too, and those are not listed.
- What is a data center moratorium?
- A temporary stop on new data center applications or permits, usually while a government writes new rules. Terms vary, so check the source for what counts as new and what is exempt.
- Is this list complete?
- No. It covers the largest measures Pacific Software Ventures has reported or read, and hundreds of smaller local ones are not here. Data Center Watch, a research project that tracks local opposition, counted at least 45 US projects blocked or delayed from April through June 2026.
- How current is it?
- It was last updated November 4, 2026. Each row gives the date of the action and links its primary source. Measures can change quickly, so read the source before relying on a row. This page is not legal advice.
- Can I reuse this data?
- Yes. Download the CSV and cite Pacific Software Ventures with a link to this page. To report an error or a measure we missed, contact us with the source document.