Local Governments in Colorado Enact Moratoriums on Data Center Development; Environmental and Health Concerns Prompt Pauses
The pause will block new approvals while county officials develop guardrails for future projects amid resident concerns over noise, infrastructure and public health.
- Across the country, local governments are implementing temporary moratoriums on data center development, with 13 counties currently enacting pauses to evaluate long-term impacts before construction proceeds.
- The Montgomery County Council recently extended its current pause on data center development to 18 months, with Council member Evan Glass stating the extended timeline will give the county more time to "get this right."
- Public opposition has centered on land usage and industrial zoning conflicts, with residents in some areas collecting more than 20,000 signatures to contest proposed facility placements.
- The Maryland Tech Council argues concerns are often "misunderstood or vastly overstated," warning that rushing to enact broad policies risks foreclosing generational economic opportunities rather than regulating the industry on reasonable terms.
- Legislators are now convening interim committees to study data center impacts and produce formal recommendations before upcoming regular sessions, aiming to navigate the balance between economic growth and community oversight.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Steamboat Pilot & Today
Craig PressMoffat County commissioners discuss data center moratorium, address transparency questions
During a Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Moffat County commissioners openly discussed potentially placing a moratorium on data center development while also clarifying their individual roles as Commission Chair Melody Villard continued to defend how county officials handled previously undisclosed conversations with companies interested in the Trapper area. The discussion came less than a week after a standing-room-only Aug. 5 Plan…
Arkansas counties, cities move ahead on data center moratoriums
The construction site for the Serverfarm data center in Clarksville, Arkansas on July 13, 2026. Construction on it began earlier this year. (Photo by Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate)Little Rock and Pulaski County haven’t paused approvals of data centers — despite months of trying — even as they’ve faced community pushback over two major facilities planned in the area. But across Arkansas, other cities and counties aren’t having the same problem.…
Valparaiso passes data center moratorium without end date
VALPARAISO — The City Council on Monday night greenlit a data center moratorium that will likely last about two years, halting progress for any near-future proposals as the city evaluates and implements regulations around the fast-growing industry.
WNY weighs AI data center expansion as residents raise noise and environmental concerns
Paul and Sharon Demers have shared that they can no longer sleep with their windows open.The North Tonawanda couple lives across the railroad tracks from a cryptomining plant and the noise, they said, has become part of everyday life."You can't go to bed at night and leave the windows open. It's just out of the question." Now, that same facility wants to transition to an AI data center, raising questions about what these operations could mean fo…
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