Enact a Statewide or Regional Moratorium on Data Center Development
The public impacts of data centers are not limited to the city or county where they are located. When a new data center connects to the grid in one city, utility bills can increase for all customers of that service region (and often across state lines). While strong and important, city- and county-wide moratoriums may simultaneously push data center development into an adjacent area with weaker protections.
A statewide or regional moratorium allows states and public utility commissions to adequately evaluate the risks of data centers and pass widely applicable regulations to protect everyone from the harms of hyperscaler development.
Strong example
Citizens Action Coalition is calling for a statewide moratorium on new hyperscaler data centers used to power AI across Indiana.
Strong Example
Honor the Earth, Indigenous Environmental Network, and the No Data Centers on Native Land Coalition have called for a three-year data center moratorium on tribal lands.
Strong example
A moratorium on new data center connections to AEP Ohio’s power grid was in effect until July 2025.
Strong Example
Food and Water Watch is calling for a national moratorium on all new data centers.