National Signals

The Town of Beloit unanimously voted Friday to reject a cost reimbursement agreement and establish a 12-month moratorium on data center projects, mirroring action taken by the Town of Turtle. The vote blocks a proposed $1 billion data center campus by California-based Panattoni Development Company that would have occupied 2 million square feet across both towns.

beloitdailynews.com

Salem City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss a possible moratorium on data centers following public opposition to a proposed Verrus project. The meeting occurs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Salem Public Library's Loucks Auditorium.

Salem Reporter

Salem City Council will consider initiating a temporary moratorium and new zoning regulations for artificial intelligence data centers, following a land-use application Friday by Alderstone LLC for two data center buildings totaling 600,000 square feet in southeast Salem.

Salem Business Journal

Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas power regulators and grid operators Monday to audit data centers seeking grid connections and halt approvals until the process concludes. Abbott cited the need to ensure grid stability and require data centers to report water usage, tax breaks, cooling technologies, and ownership information.

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Mohawk officials are proposing a six-month moratorium on data center permits to develop zoning regulations, arguing the state's one-year moratorium on larger facilities doesn't protect against smaller installations. A public hearing on the proposed local law is scheduled for August 13.

The Daily Gazette

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a temporary freeze on new data center grid connections, ordering state regulators to audit all such projects before approval. The directive follows concerns that data centers account for roughly 90% of the 474 gigawatts in pending grid connection requests, potentially threatening grid reliability.

USA Today

Lakeland commissioners voted 4-3 on August 3, 2026, to implement a one-year moratorium on new data centers and other businesses using at least 50 megawatts of electricity, citing public concerns about impacts on infrastructure and utility customers.

LkldNow

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A new bipartisan coalition called Growing Iowa's Economy launched to advocate for policies supporting data center development in Iowa, emphasizing responsible and regulated expansion of digital infrastructure. The group argues such projects will generate substantial property tax revenue and jobs for communities across the state.

Corridor Business Journal

Durham County commissioners are debating a nine-month freeze on new data centers in unincorporated areas. Residents and county officials disagree on whether exemptions for smaller data centers should be included, with some seeking a broad moratorium without loopholes.

Raleigh News & Observer

Virginia is debating data center tax policy ahead of Tuesday's primary elections, with a Republican state senator calling for a moratorium on approvals following a July electrical fault in Ashburn. The state recently amended its 2010 data center tax exemption while imposing a new electricity consumption tax expected to generate up to $600 million annually.

Bond Buyer

Gov. Greg Abbott announced a moratorium on data center approvals Monday, directing state regulatory agencies to audit proposed facilities seeking grid connection for information on tax breaks, power use, water consumption, and community impact before granting grid access. The moratorium applies to projects in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas's interconnection queue, which currently tracks over 1,800 projects representing more than 474 gigawatts of electricity.

The Texas Tribune

A Virginia state senator has called for an immediate moratorium on data center approvals and development in the state, citing ongoing debates about environmental impact and power grid concerns. The Data Center Coalition argues such a moratorium would signal the area is closed for business and overlooks the industry's economic benefits.

WTKR

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit of data centers seeking Texas power grid connections, requiring state regulators to complete reviews before approving new projects. ERCOT has received connection requests totaling more than 474 gigawatts, with about 90% from data centers.

KXXV

Investors are expressing growing concerns about whether major tech companies' massive spending on AI data center infrastructure will generate sufficient returns, as capital expenditures climb faster than revenue growth. Congressional proposals introduced in July aim to regulate or study data centers amid public outcry over electricity, water, and environmental impacts.

Fierce Network

Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct a comprehensive audit of all data centers in ERCOT's interconnection process before any projects advance. Projects failing to meet PUCT and ERCOT requirements will be denied grid connection.

Brownwood News

KatloTech Communications, an indigenous IT services company in the Northwest Territories, is pitching IceFox Data Center, a hydro-powered modular campus near Hay River, alongside a 329-kilometer fiber optic route to Alberta. The facility aims to support edge computing and AI workloads, with construction on the fiber route set to begin this summer and go live in Q3 2027.

DCD

Brownsville is preparing a temporary moratorium on data center development after a developer withdrew an application to convert a former retail property near the Port of Brownsville into a data facility. Mayor Cowen said the city will use the pause to develop regulatory guidelines while evaluating impacts on water, power, and land use.

Rio Grande Guardian

The Madison County Plan Commission voted to extend a data center moratorium from six months to one year, and the commissioners are expected to consider the recommendation.

Herald Bulletin

NV Energy sued Denver-based data center developer Tract, claiming it failed to pay costs for serving its facilities and shifted expenses to other ratepayers. Tract denied the allegations, stating it committed to paying its fair share and has invested over $50 million in Nevada infrastructure.

DCD

Verrus filed a planning application with Salem for a 600,000-square-foot data center campus on privately owned land, sidestepping Oregon's halt of a state land sale and potentially circumventing a potential city moratorium on data centers under discussion by the City Council.

W.Media

AI data centers' unpredictable power consumption and cooling demands are creating financing challenges, as lenders struggle to assess risk without independently verifiable performance data beyond standard monthly reports. Industry experts argue that standardized, tamper-evident operational metrics converted from existing facility systems would reduce uncertainty premiums and lower borrowing costs for developers.

DCD

Coffeyville, Kansas residents are pushing for a legal moratorium on AI data center development, citing concerns over environmental costs and utility impacts. The grassroots campaign argues that data centers' energy and water demands warrant stronger protections before projects proceed in small communities.

The Cool Down

Crow Holdings and CleanArc Data Centers plan to build a 245MW data center across 40 acres at Dallas Market Center, potentially replacing the Dallas Market Hall building that opened in 1960. The first phase could become operational by late 2027.

DCD

Pennsylvania has not meaningfully regulated rapid data center development, though 81 active proposals exist statewide. Passed legislation only requires data centers using over 10 megawatts annually to disclose energy and water usage.

kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

Moratoriums on data center construction are spreading through legislation and community opposition, with 75 projects blocked or delayed in early 2026 and over 300 state bills filed, creating uncertainty for contractors who increasingly rely on data center work. Economists say moratoriums may redirect projects rather than stop construction, with developers likely adopting better community engagement strategies going forward.

EC&M

PJM Interconnection filed a proposal with federal regulators for a one-time backstop auction to procure 6.8 gigawatts of capacity, addressing a shortfall from its last capacity auction largely driven by surging data center demand expected to grow 70 gigawatts by 2038. The auction will run September 30 to October 21 with a proposed $555/MW-day price cap.

Utility Dive - Latest News

La Crosse city officials are moving forward with a proposal for an 18-month moratorium on new data center development. The city plan commission will review the ordinance Monday, with a public hearing scheduled Wednesday before the Common Council takes final action August 13.

WXOW

Two Virginia state senators have urged the governor to convene a special legislative session to address groundwater strain partly caused by data centers, citing a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality report released after the current session ended. Another senator called for a statewide moratorium on new data center development, citing concerns about water usage and electricity demand impacts.

Data Center Dynamics

Multiple states have discovered that data center tax exemptions promised to have modest fiscal impact are costing billions annually—vastly exceeding original projections. Texas projected $14.6 million in costs but now faces $3.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium, while Georgia's costs reached $2.5 billion, 664 percent above estimates.

Tech Times

The town of Jay, Maine, lobbied Governor Janet Mills to exclude a specific data-center project from a statewide moratorium bill, leading Mills to veto the measure despite supporting its intent. Jay seeks the project on the site of a former paper mill that exploded in 2020, devastating the community's primary employer and economic anchor.

The Atlantic

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