Fresno CA 10-year data center prohibition (proposed)
Fresno, CA — City Council 7-0 Directs Staff to Draft 10-Year Citywide Data Center Prohibition (September 4, 2026)
Fresno, CA · Fresno City Council action (September 4, 2026) — 7-0 direction to draft 10-year data center prohibition; Mayor Dyer co-sponsoring
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Fresno city staff (must draft ordinance); data center developers (once ordinance is enacted)
- Enforced by
- City of Fresno Development Department; City Council
On September 4, 2026, the Fresno City Council voted 7-0 to direct staff to draft a citywide 10-year prohibition on data centers. Councilmember Nick Richardson introduced the measure; Mayor Jerry Dyer co-sponsored. The prohibition would be codified into the city's Development Code and would become permanent unless the council takes action to amend it at the end of the 10-year period. The council added provisions: (1) the ban would cover land later annexed into the city; (2) staff must immediately notify councilmembers of any data center application. California's largest inland city, Fresno cites electricity and water use concerns — the city depends on the San Joaquin River and Sierra snowpack.
Who is protected: Fresno residents and ratepayers against electricity and water-supply impacts of large-scale data center development
Legal detail
Fresno City Council vote (September 4, 2026): 7-0 direction to staff to draft a text amendment to the Development Code prohibiting data centers citywide for 10 years. Ban converts to permanent unless council takes affirmative action to amend at expiration. Scope: covers all land within current city limits and land subsequently annexed. Application-notification requirement added. Mayor Dyer co-sponsoring. No ordinance yet enacted — staff drafting phase. GV Wire and SJV Sun report proposal context: Councilmember Richardson cited fear as driving an 'arbitrary' ban; Mayor Dyer stated 'We don't want data centers to consume the electricity and the water that we can utilize for other things in our city and in our county.'
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Fresno, CA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Fresno City Council action (September 4, 2026) — 7-0 direction to draft 10-year data center prohibition; Mayor Dyer co-sponsoring |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | TBD — ordinance not yet drafted or enacted |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Dyer Comes Out Against Data Centers in Fresno, Proposes Full Ban — GV Wire |
More AI rules in Fresno, CA
- Fresno PD FR Policy · In effect
- Fresno USD AI Guidance · In effect
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
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