U.S. Local Governments Propose Zoning Restrictions on Data Centers

Local governments in three U.S. states are implementing defensive zoning measures to regulate the growth of data centers. In Rhode Island, the Warren Planning Board voted on July 27 to recommend that the town council explicitly list data centers as prohibited zoning uses. Board chair Blake Costa described the measure as a way to protect the town until formal standards are established, while Associate Town Solicitor Benjamin Ferreira argued that an outright prohibition would provide necessary protection.

In South Carolina, the Clarendon County Planning Commission recommended on August 3 that the County Council impose a six-month moratorium on most data center and battery energy storage system applications. This freeze, which excludes industrially zoned areas, aims to give staff time to research these facilities and create a governing ordinance, as current codes lack specific definitions for such uses.

Similarly, the City of Defiance held a townhall meeting on August 6 to discuss classifying data centers as conditional uses, which would increase planning commission oversight during the permit process. Mayor Mike McCann stated the city has not contacted any data center companies and will not offer tax breaks to such facilities. Defiance residents expressed concerns over noise, drainage, and environmental health, with some supporting a 12-month moratorium. The city council will consider these zoning changes and the moratorium at a meeting on August 18.