Dubuque IA 6-month hyperscale data center moratorium (2026)
Dubuque, IA — City Council Approves a Six-Month Moratorium on 'Hyperscale' Data Centers (100,000 sq ft, 75 MW, 5,000 Servers or 50 gpm Water) (September 2026)
Dubuque, IA · Dubuque, IA — Hyperscale data center moratorium ordinance (approved Sept. 21, 2026); approved ordinance at dubuqueia.portal.civicclerk.com/event/312/files/attachment/11230
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Developers of hyperscale data centers in the City of Dubuque
- Enforced by
- City of Dubuque (City Council; City Attorney's Office)
Dubuque's City Council approved a six-month pause on building 'hyperscale' data centers in the city. A facility counts as hyperscale if it meets any one of four tests: 100,000 square feet or larger, more than 75 megawatts of electrical demand, 5,000 or more servers, or more than 50 gallons per minute of water use for cooling or operations. The council also told the City Attorney's Office to draft a longer-term data center ordinance. The city says no data center project has been formally proposed in Dubuque.
Who is protected: Dubuque residents and city utility systems
Legal detail
Moratorium ordinance approved by the Dubuque City Council at its Monday, Sept. 21, 2026 meeting (city page). Hyperscale data center = meets any ONE of: >=100,000 sq ft; electrical demand >75 MW; server count >=5,000; water use for cooling/operations >50 gallons per minute. History: Aug. 17, 2026 work session directed staff to prepare a six-month moratorium and a 'hybrid' ordinance; council first considered the moratorium Sept. 8, 2026 and directed the city attorney to revise it; revised version approved Sept. 21. Term six months; Telegraph Herald reports it gives the council until late March 2027 to draft regulations (exact expiry not stated, left null). City Attorney Crenna Brumwell prepared the revisions (city page). Telegraph Herald: small-scale data centers needed to support existing businesses remain permitted. Next: City Attorney's Office to bring a longer-term ordinance (three readings). NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number; vote count; effective date; exact expiry.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Dubuque, IA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 21, 2026 |
| Citation | Dubuque, IA — Hyperscale data center moratorium ordinance (approved Sept. 21, 2026); approved ordinance at dubuqueia.portal.civicclerk.com/event/312/files/attachment/11230 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Agency page | City Regulation of Data Centers — City of Dubuque, IA |
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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