Thornton CO 1-year data center moratorium (2026)
Thornton, CO — City Council Passes One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers Larger Than 50,000 Square Feet (September 2026)
Thornton, CO · City of Thornton, Colorado — one-year data center moratorium (>50,000 sq ft), Sept. 22, 2026
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- September 22, 2026
- Applies to
- Developers of data centers larger than 50,000 sq ft in Thornton
- Enforced by
- City of Thornton
Thornton, Colorado adopted a one-year timeout on new data centers on September 22, 2026 by a 5-3 City Council vote. The pause applies to any data center larger than 50,000 square feet and took effect immediately. The city's interim attorney said Thornton has one operating data center and no pending applications.
Who is protected: Residents of Thornton, Colorado
Legal detail
Vote 5-3, Tuesday night, Sept. 22, 2026 (Denver Post, published Wed. Sept. 23; KUSA 9News also reports the Tuesday-night vote). Term: one year; effective immediately. Threshold: data centers larger than 50,000 sq ft. Interim city attorney Jessica Whitney: one data center operating, no pending applications. Not established: ordinance number, whether the one-year term can be extended. expires_date not computed.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Thornton, CO |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 22, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Thornton, Colorado — one-year data center moratorium (>50,000 sq ft), Sept. 22, 2026 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Two more metro Denver cities pass moratoriums on new data centers — The Denver Post (Sept. 23, 2026) |
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
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.