61measures in 16 countries
13moratoria in force (of 22)
11US moratoria in force
11measures that apply only above a MW threshold
What the word covers here
A moratorium, in this table, is a dated pause: a public body stops taking, processing or deciding data center applications for a set period, almost always to buy time to write rules it does not have yet. That makes it different from the other measures we track. A zoning restriction changes where data centers may go for good; a grid limit comes from the utility or transmission operator rather than from the planning office; a tariff change alters what a large load pays for power. Our restrictions table holds 61 measures across 16 countries. Of those, 22 are moratoria, next to 12 zoning restrictions, 10 grid connection limits and 6 tax or tariff changes.
The label is not always what the authority itself uses. Scotland’s ministers said they rejected a formal moratorium, yet the motions passed in September 2026 mean planning decisions on large data centers wait for new national guidance, so we record it as one. The reverse also happens: Dominion’s pause on new connections in eastern Loudoun in 2022 and AEP Ohio’s stop on new service requests had the same effect on a buyer, but one sits in the table as a grid limit and the other as a moratorium because AEP itself called it that. When you read the table, look at what the measure stops, not only at its type.
The run of news since 2025
Most of the activity is recent. 19 of the rows were announced in 2026, and the oldest goes back to 2019. In the United States we have 17 moratoria on file, 11 of them in force today.
The 2026 entries come from every level of government. Lochbuie in Colorado acted before anyone had proposed a data center there. Pasco in Washington paused permits for data centers together with crypto mining and other high-density computing. Madison, Wisconsin, paused only buildings above a floor-area cap where the data center is the main use. Prince George’s County in Maryland turned a pause from late 2025 into a longer moratorium on hyperscale projects. New York’s governor stopped discretionary state permits for new hyperscale sites while agencies prepare statewide standards. Loudoun County, the market that made Northern Virginia, voted in September for a pause on new applications after a permanent ban was judged unworkable under Virginia law. Steuben County in Indiana formalised its own pause the same month, a few weeks after Indianapolis approved one for all of Marion County.
Abroad, Thailand’s new policy board froze approvals and paused projects already under construction while it writes national standards on water, power and siting. Not every attempt passes: Maine’s legislature voted for a statewide moratorium on large facilities, and the governor vetoed it because it did not exempt one planned project. The veto puts Maine in the table’s rejected column, which counts 1 so far.
How long a pause lasts
Read the start and end dates and a pattern appears. The shortest pauses in the table are the Georgia county ones of 2025: Douglas in March and Troup in September were each set for about a season, and Coweta in May for about half a year, so each county could study the use. A middle group runs close to a year: Denver from May 2026 to May 2027, Monterey Park through January 2027, and Madison, which must adopt its zoning rules by January 2027. Then come the long ones. Indianapolis exempts projects it had already approved but takes no new ones until after the end of 2027. Prince George’s County can keep its moratorium in place until mid-2028 unless the council legislates first, and Lochbuie’s runs into 2031.
Ended pauses tell you how far the first deadline can slip. Singapore stopped approving new data centers in 2019 and reopened only in 2022. AEP Ohio took no new data center service requests from 2023 until the regulator ordered it in 2025 to file tariffs and lift the stop. A council can also extend its own deadline, as Monterey Park did, or decide that a pause should become permanent, as Monterey Park also asked its voters to do in 2026.
What came after the ones that ended
8 moratoria in the table have expired or been lifted. Where the rows record the outcome, none simply put the old rules back:
- Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer lifted their 2019 pause in 2020 with conditions that steered growth into designated areas. Haarlemmermeer then backed a policy confining data centers to named business parks, and Amsterdam stopped allowing new data centers or expansions altogether in 2025.
- The Netherlands held new hyperscale applications for most of 2022, then issued a decree in 2023 that bars such campuses everywhere except specified locations in two municipalities.
- Singapore replaced its pause with a call for applications in 2022: capacity is now allocated by tender to projects that are best in class for efficiency and green power.
- AEP Ohio ended its stop only once the regulator approved a data center tariff with a minimum demand charge, financial assurance and exit fees.
- Troup County used its pause to amend its development regulations.
For Douglas, Coweta and St. Charles, the rows say why the place paused — a check against the comprehensive plan, time to draft an ordinance, opposition to a project whose developer then withdrew — but not yet what was adopted afterwards. The common thread is that a moratorium is a drafting period. The parcel that matters is the one that fits the new rulebook.
Land and options in a county that has paused
For an owner, the dates on the vote matter more than the headline. Each pause draws a line between applications that are inside and those that are out: Denver exempts work already permitted, New York lets applications already deemed complete go on, Indianapolis spares projects approved before the vote. A parcel with a rezoning, special use permit or site plan already granted sits on the right side of that line; a parcel with none sits idle until the new rules are written. Troup County’s pause stopped rezonings, special use permits, land disturbance and building permits all at once.
That has direct consequences for an option agreement. If a buyer holds an option and the county pauses, the buyer may not be able to finish its approvals inside the option term, and it may ask to extend the term, pay a lower option fee or walk away. Lyon Township shows the other side: its pause came after a large hyperscale project there had already been approved, so the land with approvals became scarce while everything around it waited. Any extension, price change or termination right should be read by the owner’s own attorney before signing, with the moratorium’s end date and its exemption wording in front of them.
How to check your county
- Filter the table below by country, type, status and year. A row tells you who acted, when, and whether the measure applies only above a size threshold — 11 of our measures do.
- Our table is a starting point, not a census of every township. Michigan Public reported that dozens of Michigan communities had adopted pauses by mid-2026, most of which are not listed here. Search your county and township board agendas for “data center” and “moratorium”, and look for zoning text amendments filed during any pause.
- Check the level above the county. A state order such as New York’s, or a utility rule on large loads, can stop a project in a county that has passed nothing itself.
- Read the end date and the work the council said it would do before it. The ordinance drafted during the pause decides which land qualifies afterwards, and the hearings on it are open to owners.
Every measure
| Where | Measure | Type | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William County, Virginia, United States | Prince William County ends by-right data centre development countywideThe board voted 8-0 for a zoning text amendment that shrinks and closes the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District to future expansion. Data centres outside the reduced overlay now need a special use permit decided by the board, with a 90-day grace period for projects already built, under construction or holding approved site plans. | Zoning | 2026-09-22 | In force |
| Scotland, United Kingdom | Scotland holds planning decisions on data centres over 50 MW pending new guidanceapplies from 50 MWThe Scottish Parliament passed amended motions under which planning decisions on new data centres above 50 MW will not be taken until national planning guidance is updated. Ministers rejected a formal moratorium and said applications can still be lodged; full guidance was promised by the end of 2026. | Moratorium | 2026-09-16 | In force |
| Steuben County, Indiana, United States | Steuben County formalises six-month moratorium on data centre constructionCommissioners passed a resolution, effective the same day, concurring with the county plan commission's recommendation for a six-month moratorium on allowing data centre construction. | Moratorium | 2026-09-15 | In force |
| Thailand | Thailand pauses 166 data centre projects while national standards are writtenAt its first meeting the government's data centre policy board paused 49 projects under construction and froze approvals for 117 planned facilities. Subcommittees were given about a month to draft standards on water and electricity use, siting, safety and economic benefit; existing operators are to receive a transition period. | Moratorium | 2026-09-04 | In force |
| Loudoun County, Virginia, United States | Loudoun County votes to pause new data centre applications for 12 monthsSupervisors voted 7-1 with one abstention for a 12-month pause on new data centre applications while the county revises its regulations; a permanent ban was judged unworkable under Virginia law. County staff were due to bring a formal resolution memorialising the pause to the board's October business meeting. | Moratorium | 2026-09 | In force |
| Indianapolis / Marion County, Indiana, United States | Indianapolis pauses new data centres in Marion County through 2027The City-County Council approved the moratorium 23-1 on 10 August 2026 and the Metropolitan Development Commission gave final approval 6-0 on 19 August. No new data centres can be approved in Marion County until after 31 December 2027; three previously approved projects are exempt. | Moratorium | 2026-08-19 | In force |
| Lochbuie, Colorado, United States | Lochbuie passes five-year moratorium on data centresThe town adopted an ordinance preventing the processing or approval of applications to establish or expand data centre facilities for five years. The mayor described the measure as proactive, as no data centre had been proposed in the town. | Moratorium | 2026-07-21 | In force |
| New York, United States | New York pauses state permits for new hyperscale data centres (Executive Order 62)The executive order sets a moratorium of up to one year during which the Department of Environmental Conservation will not issue discretionary permits for new hyperscale data centres unless already deemed complete. State agencies are to prepare statewide standards through a generic environmental impact statement, after which compliant projects may proceed. | Moratorium | 2026-07-14 | In force |
| Prince George's County, Maryland, United States | Prince George's County passes two-year moratorium on hyperscale data centresThe council extended an earlier pause dating from September 2025 into a moratorium of up to two years on hyperscale data centre development. It can be lifted sooner if the council enacts comprehensive data centre legislation. | Moratorium | 2026-07-07 | In force |
| Pasco, Washington, United States | Pasco approves six-month moratorium on data centre development permitsThe council voted 6-0 for an immediate six-month moratorium on development permits for data centres, AI and blockchain computing, cryptocurrency mining and other high-density computing facilities. The city intends to write data-centre-specific land-use rules during the pause. | Moratorium | 2026-07 | In force |
| Denmark | Energinet replaces first-come connections with batch model; no new deals before autumnAfter the pause ended on 3 June 2026, Energinet did not return to its previous handling of large connections. Projects are now processed together under stricter requirements for maturity, progress and grid-friendliness, and Energinet said no new grid connection agreements would be signed before autumn 2026 because free transmission capacity is very limited. | Grid limit | 2026-05-27 | In force |
| Denver, Colorado, United States | Denver adopts one-year moratorium on new data centre permitsCouncil bill CB26-0431 pauses acceptance, processing and approval of zoning permits and site development plans for new primary-use data centres and expansions from 21 May 2026 to 21 May 2027. Telecommunications-focused facilities and work already permitted are exempt, and the council can extend the deadline. | Moratorium | 2026-05-18 | In force |
| Lyon Township, Michigan, United States | Lyon Township enacts 180-day data centre moratoriumThe township adopted a 180-day moratorium on data centres in May 2026, after a 1.8 million sq ft hyperscale project there had already been approved. Michigan Public reported that at least 52 Michigan communities had enacted data centre moratoria by late June 2026, most lasting six months to a year. | Moratorium | 2026-05 | In force |
| Maine, United States | Maine governor vetoes 18-month moratorium on data centres over 20 MWapplies from 20 MWThe legislature passed a bill imposing an 18-month moratorium on new data centres using more than 20 MW. Governor Janet Mills vetoed it because it did not exempt a US$550 million project planned in the town of Jay. | Moratorium | 2026-04 | Rejected |
| Monterey Park, California, United States | Monterey Park extends data centre moratorium and sends permanent ban to votersThe council unanimously extended its moratorium so that no applications for any data centre use are accepted, processed or considered through 21 January 2027. At the same meeting it placed a measure to permanently prohibit data centres in the city on the 2 June 2026 ballot. | Moratorium | 2026-03-04 | In force |
| Denmark | Energinet pauses new transmission grid connection agreementsThe state grid operator stopped signing new grid connection agreements for three months and lengthened processing times, pointing to the scale of requests from very large consumers including data centres, batteries and Power-to-X plants. Projects that already held a signed agreement were not affected. | Grid limit | 2026-03-02 | Expired |
| Malaysia | Malaysia confirms new non-AI data centre applications have been stoppedPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament that new data centre applications unrelated to high technology and AI had already been stopped for almost two years, while AI-related projects are approved more readily. The statement confirmed an informal screening criterion applied since around 2024. | Permit regime | 2026-02-24 | In force |
| Madison, Wisconsin, United States | Madison pauses zoning approvals for data centres over 10,000 sq ftThe council approved a temporary moratorium on zoning approvals for new data centres larger than 10,000 square feet where the data centre is the principal use. It can last up to one year while the city writes zoning rules, which it must adopt by 24 January 2027. | Moratorium | 2026-01-13 | In force |
| Australia | AEMC draft rule sets technical connection standards for data centres of 30 MW or moreapplies from 30 MWThe draft rule would define large inverter-based loads, including data centres, at a 30 MW threshold in the National Electricity Rules and require them to ride through voltage and frequency disturbances instead of disconnecting. Stakeholder feedback was sought until 7 May 2026 before the standards are finalised. | Grid limit | 2026 | Proposed |
| Ireland | CRU Large Energy Users connection policy for new data centres (CRU/2025236)The policy applies only to data centres. Sites of 10 MVA or more must provide on-site or nearby dispatchable generation and/or storage matching their import capacity that takes part in the wholesale market, sites between 1 MVA and 10 MVA must provide an equivalent autoproducer unit, and connected data centres must cover at least 80% of annual demand with additional Irish renewable generation after a six-year glide path. System operators may refuse applications in constrained locations. | Grid limit | 2025-12-12 | In force |
| Singapore | Second Data Centre Call for Application (DC-CFA2) offers at least 200 MWThe second allocation round makes at least 200 MW of new data centre capacity available, with more possible for projects using novel green energy pathways. Proposed facilities must be best-in-class for energy and IT efficiency and at least 50% powered by eligible green energy; the application window closed on 31 March 2026. | Permit regime | 2025-12-01 | In force |
| Johor, Malaysia | Johor halts approvals for Tier 1 and Tier 2 data centres over water useThe chairman of Johor's housing and local government committee said the state will no longer approve Tier 1 and Tier 2 data centres because of their water consumption. New projects must source reclaimed water, keep distance from residential and commercial zones and pass five levels of vetting covering water, power and environmental criteria. | Permit regime | 2025-11 | In force |
| Finland | Finland moves data centres to the general electricity tax categoryFrom 1 July 2026 electricity used in data centres is taxed in category I at 2.24 cents per kWh instead of category II at 0.05 cents per kWh. The government said it would prepare a replacement subsidy scheme capped at the fiscal cost of the former tax relief, targeted for autumn 2026. | Tariff / tax | 2025-10 | In force |
| Troup County, Georgia, United States | Troup County approves 90-day moratorium on data centre applicationsThe moratorium, effective 16 September 2025, blocked all data centre applications in unincorporated Troup County, including rezonings, special use permits, land disturbance and building permits. The county used the period to study impacts before amending its development regulations. | Moratorium | 2025-09-16 | Expired |
| St. Charles, Missouri, United States | St. Charles adopts one-year moratorium on data centre applicationsIn a special session the council unanimously passed a resolution halting acceptance of applications to establish or expand data centres for one year. It followed public opposition to a proposed project whose developer withdrew its zoning application. | Moratorium | 2025-08-22 | Expired |
| Tucson, Arizona, United States | Tucson requires council approval and conservation plans for large water usersAdopted unanimously after the Project Blue data centre was rejected, the ordinance makes customers expecting to use more than about 7.4 million gallons of water a month apply to the city with a conservation plan. Applications are public records, and users that exceed 120% of their approved volume face escalating surcharges and possible service restriction. | Permit regime | 2025-08 | In force |
| Ohio (AEP Ohio territory), United States | PUCO approves AEP Ohio data centre tariff with 85% minimum demand chargeapplies from 25 MWNew data centres of 25 MW and above must pay for at least 85% of their subscribed capacity for up to 12 years, whether or not they use it, and must meet financial assurance requirements and pay exit fees if they cancel. Existing facilities are grandfathered unless they expand beyond 25 MW. | Tariff / tax | 2025-07-09 | In force |
| Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Phoenix requires a special permit for new data centresThe zoning ordinance now defines data centres as a use that needs a special permit. Applicants must address health and safety impacts including power grid reliability, fire risk, emergency access and noise, and consult city staff earlier about each site. | Zoning | 2025-07-02 | In force |
| Texas, United States | Texas SB 6 sets interconnection, cost and curtailment rules for loads of 75 MW or moreapplies from 75 MWLarge-load customers of 75 MW or more connecting to the ERCOT grid must contribute to interconnection costs, disclose duplicate requests elsewhere in Texas and report on-site backup generation, which ERCOT may call on in emergencies. Utilities must set curtailment protocols for large loads connected after 31 December 2025, and the PUC must adopt uniform interconnection standards. | Grid limit | 2025-06-20 | In force |
| Oregon, United States | Oregon POWER Act creates separate rate class for users of 20 MW or moreapplies from 20 MWHB 3546 creates a distinct classification for large energy users such as data centres and crypto miners drawing 20 MW or more. They must pay rates reflecting the cost of serving them, sign contracts of at least 10 years with minimum payments and cover transmission additions built for them. | Tariff / tax | 2025-06 | In force |
| Coweta County, Georgia, United States | Coweta County adopts 180-day data centre moratoriumCommissioners voted for a 180-day moratorium after the 13-building Project Sail campus was proposed on more than 800 acres near Newnan. The pause was intended to give the county time to draft a zoning ordinance for data centres. | Moratorium | 2025-05-06 | Expired |
| Amsterdam, Netherlands | Amsterdam stops allowing new data centres and expansionsThe city announced it will no longer permit new data centres or expansions of existing ones, citing scarce space and limited grid capacity, and will revisit the question in 2030. Applications filed before 28 December 2023 or already in advanced negotiation are still handled under the earlier rules. | Zoning | 2025-04 | In force |
| Loudoun County, Virginia, United States | Loudoun County eliminates by-right data centre developmentThe board amended its zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan so every data centre proposal needs discretionary approval through staff review, a planning commission hearing and a board vote. Applications filed before 12 February 2025 are grandfathered if they are more than 500 feet from residential units. | Zoning | 2025-03-18 | In force |
| Douglas County, Georgia, United States | Douglas County imposes 90-day moratorium on new data centresCommissioners voted 4-1 for a 90-day halt on new data centres so the county could check whether such development fits its comprehensive plan. | Moratorium | 2025-03 | Expired |
| Georgia, United States | Georgia PSC rule lets Georgia Power bill loads over 100 MW for their grid costsapplies from 100 MWThe commission unanimously approved a rule under which customers using more than 100 MW, mainly data centres, can be billed on terms reflecting project risk and charged transmission and distribution costs as construction progresses. New contracts with such customers must be submitted for PSC review. | Tariff / tax | 2025-01-23 | In force |
| Norway | Norway requires data centres to register with the telecom regulatorThe new Electronic Communications Act obliges data centre operators to register ownership, contact, service and energy-use details with Nkom, including the share of power used for cryptocurrency mining. New data centres must register before construction starts, existing ones had until 1 July 2025, and non-compliance can bring fines of up to 5% of annual turnover. | Permit regime | 2025-01-01 | In force |
| Marana, Arizona, United States | Marana bars potable water for data centre cooling and requires rezoningThe town's ordinance prevents Marana Water from supplying drinking water for data centre cooling or humidity control, so developers must show an alternative water source. Applicants also need utility documentation that enough electrical capacity exists and must go through a public rezoning process with design and noise standards. | Zoning | 2024-12 | In force |
| Fairfax County, Virginia, United States | Fairfax County adopts stricter data centre zoning standardsThe amendment requires data centre buildings to sit at least 200 feet from adjacent residential lot lines and at least one mile from a Metro station, with generators and similar equipment 300 feet from homes. It adds size thresholds above which a special exception is needed in most districts, plus equipment screening and noise studies before and after construction. | Zoning | 2024-09-10 | In force |
| Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Atlanta bans data centres near the Beltline and MARTA rail stationsTwo ordinances prohibit new data centres near the Beltline corridor and within half a mile of MARTA rail stations. Council members said the land should be kept for housing and jobs because data centres provide neither in significant numbers. | Zoning | 2024-09-02 | In force |
| Northern Taiwan (north of Taoyuan), Taiwan | Taiwan stops approving data centres above 5 MW north of Taoyuanapplies from 5 MWThe Ministry of Economic Affairs said data centres larger than 5 MW are no longer approved in the regions north of Taoyuan because of a power supply bottleneck; the last such approval in the north was in September 2023. Taipower said data centres should be prioritised in central and southern Taiwan. | Grid limit | 2024-08 | In force |
| South Korea | Distributed Energy Act introduces grid impact assessment for loads of 10 MW or moreapplies from 10 MWUnder the Special Act on Promotion of Distributed Energy, in force since 14 June 2024, a business planning to use 10 MW or more of electricity in an area designated by the minister must carry out a grid impact assessment. Data centres are among the large electricity users covered. | Permit regime | 2024-06-14 | In force |
| Johor, Malaysia | Johor sets up committee to vet data centre applications on water and powerThe state established a vetting committee in June 2024 to screen data centre proposals against sustainability and infrastructure requirements. By November 2024 it had rejected nearly 30% of applications, including 4 of 14 from overseas operators, partly because chosen sites lacked adequate utilities. | Permit regime | 2024-06 | In force |
| Singapore | Green Data Centre Roadmap ties new capacity to efficiency and green energyThe roadmap aims to free up at least 300 MW of additional data centre capacity in the near term through efficiency gains at existing facilities, with more possible through green energy deployments. IMDA and EDB said new capacity will be allocated to operators that prioritise both sustainability and economic value. | Permit regime | 2024-05-30 | In force |
| Georgia, United States | Georgia governor vetoes bill suspending data centre sales tax exemptionsHB 1192, passed by both chambers, would have stopped the issue of new sales and use tax exemption certificates for data centre projects from July 2024 to June 2026 and created a commission on data centre energy planning. Governor Brian Kemp vetoed it, so the exemption continued. | Tariff / tax | 2024-05 | Rejected |
| Netherlands | Decree bars hyperscale data centres across the Netherlands except two municipalitiesapplies from 70 MWA decree of 20 December 2023 amending the Besluit kwaliteit leefomgeving defines a hyperscale data centre as more than 10 hectares of built floor area with a grid connection of 70 MW or more. Municipal environment plans may not allow such facilities anywhere in the country apart from specified locations in Het Hogeland and Hollands Kroon. | Zoning | 2023-12-20 | In force |
| Germany | Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG) sets PUE and waste-heat rules for data centresThe Act passed by the Bundestag requires new data centres opening from July 2026 to reach a PUE of 1.2. Data centres above 200 kW must reuse 20% of their waste heat by 2028, a requirement relaxed from the original draft; the law also implements parts of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. | Permit regime | 2023-09-21 | In force |
| Sweden | Sweden abolishes reduced electricity tax for data centresFrom 1 July 2023 electricity used in data halls no longer qualifies for the reduced energy tax: deductions, refunds and voluntary tax registration for data hall electricity all ended. Facilities in certain northern municipalities may still qualify for the regional Norrland deduction. | Tariff / tax | 2023-07-01 | In force |
| Central Ohio, United States | AEP Ohio pauses new data centre service requests in central OhioThe utility stopped taking new data centre service requests in March 2023 while it assessed the impact of the requested load on its system. In its 9 July 2025 order PUCO directed AEP Ohio to file data centre tariffs and lift the moratorium as soon as possible. | Moratorium | 2023-03 | Lifted |
| Chandler, Arizona, United States | Chandler restricts data centres to PAD zoning with noise and notification rulesThe ordinance, adopted unanimously and effective 5 January 2023, allows data centres as a primary use only under planned area development zoning. It requires a pre-construction sound study, noise mitigation to baseline levels, annual noise studies for five years, neighbourhood meetings and limits on backup generator testing. | Zoning | 2022-12-05 | In force |
| Singapore | Pilot Data Centre Call for Application replaces the moratoriumNew data centre capacity can only be built by winning an allocation through a government call for applications that favours best-in-class energy efficiency and decarbonisation. Under the pilot, 80 MW was allocated in 2023 to Equinix, GDS, Microsoft and an AirTrunk-ByteDance consortium. | Permit regime | 2022-07-20 | In force |
| West London (Hillingdon, Ealing, Hounslow), United Kingdom | West London grid reaches capacity; new connections told to wait until 2035The GLA told developers that applicants for new electricity connections in Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow could wait until 2035 because data centres along the M4 corridor had absorbed available grid capacity. The London Assembly later reported that short-term fixes allowed more than 12,000 homes to connect by early 2025 and recommended a separate planning class and London Plan policy for data centres. | Grid limit | 2022-07 | In force |
| Loudoun County, Virginia, United States | Dominion Energy pauses new data centre connections in eastern Loudoun CountyDominion told operators in July 2022 that transmission constraints meant it could not guarantee power for new data centres in eastern Loudoun County. It lifted the pause in September 2022 and resumed connections on an incremental basis, while warning that some planned projects would face delivery limits until 2026. | Grid limit | 2022-07 | Lifted |
| Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Frankfurt steers colocation and cloud data centres into designated suitability areasThe city council approved a commercial space development programme that gives Frankfurt city-wide control over where data centres locate. Operator-independent (cloud and colocation) data centres are directed to suitability areas in Sossenheim, Rödelheim, Griesheim, Gallus, Ostend, Fechenheim and Seckbach, alongside plans to use their waste heat for district heating. | Zoning | 2022-06 | In force |
| South Dublin, Ireland | South Dublin council bans data centres in development plan; minister overturns itCouncillors amended the 2022-2028 County Development Plan to make data centres a not-permitted land use. The Minister of State for Planning directed the council to reverse the change as contrary to national policy, and in September 2022 the council restored data centres to 'open for consideration'. | Zoning | 2022-03 | Lifted |
| Netherlands | Nine-month national hold on new hyperscale data centre applicationsapplies from 70 MWA preparatory decision deferred new building applications for hyperscale data centres for nine months while national siting rules were written. It covered facilities larger than 10 hectares with 70 MW or more of power; previously approved projects and the exempt areas in Groningen (Eemshaven) and Middenmeer were not affected. | Moratorium | 2022-02-16 | Expired |
| Dublin, Ireland | EirGrid stops accepting new data centre connection applications in DublinThe transmission operator confirmed it would not connect new data centres in the constrained greater Dublin area for the foreseeable future, reportedly until 2028, while applications already in the pipeline continue. Requests elsewhere in the country are considered case by case under the CRU criteria. | Grid limit | 2022-01 | In force |
| China | China tells local governments to stop disorderly data centre developmentCentral government guidance instructed localities to strengthen control over data centre construction and avoid 'blind and disorderly' development. Local governments were told in principle not to offer incentives for data centres outside designated national hubs, and non-latency-sensitive workloads are to shift from the east to western regions. | Permit regime | 2021-12 | In force |
| Ireland | CRU direction on assessing data centre grid connections (CRU/21/124)The regulator stopped short of a national moratorium but directed EirGrid and ESB Networks to assess every data centre connection application against security-of-supply criteria, including whether the site is in a constrained part of the grid and whether it can bring its own dispatchable generation or flexible demand. The direction was replaced by the Large Energy Users connection policy published in December 2025. | Grid limit | 2021-11-23 | Lifted |
| Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands | Haarlemmermeer board backs policy limiting data centres to designated business parksThe municipal board endorsed the main points of a policy that confines new and expanding data centres to specifically designated business parks and excludes all other land. It allows moderate growth until 2030, after which the municipality says no further space will be available for data centres; the plan then went to consultation and a council vote. | Zoning | 2020-06 | Proposed |
| Amsterdam / Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands | Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer pause permits for new data centresThe two municipalities halted new data centre permits in July 2019, citing pressure on land and the electricity grid, while a regional policy was drawn up. The pause was lifted in 2020 with conditions aimed at controlled growth in designated areas. | Moratorium | 2019-07 | Lifted |
| Singapore | Singapore pauses approval of new data centresIMDA announced a temporary pause on new data centre development in 2019 because of the sector's land, water and energy use; projects already under way could be completed. The pause ended in July 2022 when a pilot application scheme was opened. | Moratorium | 2019 | Lifted |
Questions
What is a data center moratorium?
It is a temporary stop, usually voted by a council or board, on accepting, processing or approving applications and permits for new data centers, most often while the place writes rules it does not yet have. Our table holds 22 of them, 13 still in force. Some national and utility measures work the same way under another name, such as a hold on planning decisions or a pause on grid connections.
How long do data center moratoriums last?
Most run from a few months to a year or two. In our rows the shortest were the Douglas and Troup County pauses in Georgia in 2025, each set for about a season, while Indianapolis runs to the end of 2027 and the pause Lochbuie, Colorado, adopted in 2026 runs into 2031. Singapore's national pause, from 2019 to 2022, is the longest that has already ended.
Does a moratorium end with the old rules coming back?
Not in the cases where our table records the outcome. Of the 8 moratoria that have expired or been lifted, the ones with a known result were followed by something new — designated zones, a capacity tender, a national siting decree or a utility tariff — rather than a return to the earlier rules.
Every figure on this page is traced to its document on our Sources page.