Augusta-Richmond County GA — Data Center Moratorium (June 2026, Extended July 2026)

The Augusta Commission voted June 2, 2026 to impose a 49-day moratorium on new data center applications, then extended it an additional 60 days on July 21, 2026, pushing the effective moratorium through approximately September 19, 2026. The extension gives commissioners time to complete community outreach (including a planned Atlanta-area data center tour and three community meetings) before adopting a permanent data center ordinance. A draft permanent ordinance would restrict data centers to heavy industrial zoning, require special exceptions with public hearings, and mandate 500-foot buffers from residential and agricultural land. The QTS campus on Gordon Highway remains exempt from the moratorium as construction was already underway when the original moratorium passed.

Technical detail

Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government Commission voted June 2, 2026 to impose a 49-day moratorium; extended 60 more days July 21, 2026, running through ~September 19, 2026. Draft permanent ordinance: heavy-industrial zoning requirement + special exception + 500-foot residential/agricultural buffer. Final ordinance vote expected August 18, 2026 Commission meeting. QTS Gordon Highway project exempted throughout.

Who is protected: Augusta-Richmond County residents near proposed data center sites

Who must comply: Data center developers seeking new permits or approvals in Augusta-Richmond County

Key facts

Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere

• Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
• Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
• Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
• Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
• WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
• Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect