Lake Elsinore CA 45-day data center moratorium (2026)
Lake Elsinore, CA — City Council Emergency 45-Day Moratorium on New Data Center Applications (August 25, 2026)
Lake Elsinore, CA · City of Lake Elsinore, Cal. — Emergency Ordinance (Aug. 25, 2026)
- Status
- Expired
- Expired
- October 9, 2026
- Applies to
- The City of Lake Elsinore planning and permitting functions; applicants seeking data center development approvals.
- Enforced by
- City of Lake Elsinore Community Development Department
The Lake Elsinore City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance on August 25, 2026 establishing a 45-day moratorium on new data center applications and entitlements within city limits. Councilmember Steve Manos had raised the issue at the August 11 council meeting following resident concerns about a potential data center development option. City Attorney James Markman noted that Lake Elsinore's zoning code does not specifically address data centers, leaving the city without a regulatory framework. The moratorium gives the city time to study potential impacts — including scale, power demand, water use, and the possibility of irreversible land-use impacts — and develop an appropriate ordinance. Lake Elsinore is a city of about 75,000 in southwest Riverside County at the shore of the Elsinore Valley's lake.
Who is protected: Lake Elsinore residents, through a pause on data center development while the city fills regulatory gaps and studies environmental and infrastructure impacts.
Legal detail
City of Lake Elsinore emergency ordinance, adopted by unanimous City Council vote August 25, 2026. Pauses acceptance and processing of new data center applications and entitlements. City Attorney Markman cited absence of data center definition or rules in the municipal zoning code as the primary regulatory gap. Moratorium scope: applications for new data center development or related entitlements in the city. Extension is available if additional study time required. Context: Lake Elsinore is located in southwest Riverside County, within the broader Inland Empire data center growth zone and adjacent to the Southern California regional wave of municipal moratoriums (Indio, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Coachella, Escondido).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Lake Elsinore, CA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Enacted | August 25, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Lake Elsinore, Cal. — Emergency Ordinance (Aug. 25, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Applications during moratorium not accepted or processed |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Council unanimously approves 45-day data center moratorium — Elsinore 24/7 |
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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