Cities in US Pass Data Center Moratoriums Amid Public Outcry

Local governments in two U.S. cities are taking emergency legislative action to restrict the growth of large-scale computing facilities. In Cle Elum, the Cle Elum City Council unanimously passed a six-month moratorium on new data centers after Blue Fern Development proposed a $200 million facility. While the developer claims the 100,000-square-foot project would use a closed-loop cooling system, council members cited concerns over noise, heat, and water supplies. City attorneys are now reviewing whether a 2002 development agreement allows the project to proceed despite the moratorium.

Similarly, in Louisville, the administration of Mayor Craig Greenberg is pursuing new regulations to ban future hyperscale data centers and increase environmental protections. These efforts follow intense opposition to an already approved project on Camp Ground Road. The conflict escalated on August 5 when members of the activist group No Data Center 502 disrupted a Louisville Metro Planning Commission meeting, leading officials to call for police to clear the gallery. A Metro Council committee has since advanced a 180-day moratorium on new data center proposals, with a final vote scheduled for August 13.