Local Governments Across US States Block AI Data Centers

Local governments across the United States are increasingly implementing moratoriums to block or regulate the expansion of AI data centers. In Ohio, Green Township Trustees approved a 12-month moratorium on all new development to prevent these facilities from establishing a presence, while the Marshalltown City Council in Iowa passed the first reading of a four-month pause on construction and expansion.

Similar actions have emerged in the South. The Independence County Quorum Court in Arkansas unanimously passed a five-year moratorium, the longest in that state, following similar pauses in Russellville, Union, and Carroll counties. In Virginia, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to support a request from State Senator Glen Sturtevant for Governor Abigail Spanberger to issue a statewide moratorium. Sturtevant argues that the strain on power generation and transmission lines is a statewide issue that exceeds the scope of local zoning.

These local efforts reflect a broader national trend toward restricting data center growth. New York has already enacted the first statewide moratorium, and the Governor of Texas ordered a temporary halt on new approvals. While some regions, such as Little Rock and Pulaski County in Arkansas, have struggled to pass full moratoriums, they have shifted toward implementing stricter regulations to manage the environmental and infrastructural impact of these facilities.