Issue Brief | What to Make of Data Center Moratoriums?

A framework for identifying three different types of data center moratoriums at the local and state levels. 

State and local governments have been proposing – and in many cases enacting – moratoriums on data center permitting at an increasingly rapid pace over the past six months. According to recent Heatmap reporting, over 530 local laws have been enacted to ban or restrict data center development, while many more jurisdictions are considering permitting pauses. In “What to Make of Data Center Moratoriums?," the Georgetown Climate Center notes that data center moratoriums are not all built alike, and aims to make these pauses easier to understand by identifying a simple taxonomy based on distinct goals and characteristics. 

“Although data center moratoriums are a blunt policy instrument that share obvious commonalities…, state and local proposals for data center moratoriums are not all the same,” writes Melissa Birchard, GCC’s Mitigation Program Director. “Looking beyond the commonalities to distinguishing features can help policymakers and others approach this topic with greater clarity.” 

Identifying potential differences between moratoriums may help state and local leaders understand their options for responding to the concerns of their constituents. Looking beyond the headlines may also point policymakers and the data center industry toward substantive issues that can be addressed – in advance of any potential moratorium – through measures such as increased transparency, focused community consultation, and conservation and emissions reduction measures.

Read the full issue brief here

Other related GCC publications: 

• Issue Brief | State Utility Tariffs: A Tool to Manage Large Load Growth (March 20, 2026)
• Blog | “Large Electric Loads”: What They Are, Why They Matter, and What States Can Do (November 18, 2025)
• Toolkit | Local Ordinances to Help Bring Data Centers into Alignment with Climate Goals (November 5, 2025)