Bannock County ID 180-day data center moratorium (2026)
Bannock County, ID — 180-Day Emergency Moratorium on Data Center Permits (July 30, 2026)
Bannock County, ID · Bannock County, Idaho — Board of Commissioners emergency moratorium resolution (July 30, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- January 26, 2027
- Applies to
- Bannock County planning and permitting functions; applicants seeking data center permits in unincorporated areas.
- Enforced by
- Bannock County Board of Commissioners; Bannock County Planning and Zoning
The Bannock County, Idaho Board of Commissioners enacted a 180-day emergency moratorium on data center permits on July 30, 2026, stopping acceptance or processing of data center applications in unincorporated Bannock County through approximately January 26, 2027. The county has no existing ordinance specifically governing data centers. A study group will examine water use, noise, light output, heat, and potential economic effects while the county drafts its first data center ordinance. Bannock County is home to Pocatello, Idaho's fifth-largest city, and sits in a region where tech companies have explored data center siting due to available power and land. The moratorium is part of a wave of Idaho county actions in 2026, with Elmore County, Kootenai County (since lifted), and others also taking steps to regulate data center development.
Who is protected: Bannock County residents in unincorporated areas, through a pause on data center development while the county drafts its first governing ordinance.
Legal detail
Bannock County Board of Commissioners emergency moratorium, July 30, 2026. Stops acceptance and processing of all data center permits and applications in unincorporated Bannock County for 180 days (expires approximately January 26, 2027). Study group tasked with examining: water use; noise impacts; light; heat; economic effects. County to draft its first dedicated data center ordinance during the moratorium window. County seat: Pocatello (pop. ~54,000). Context: Shoshone-Bannock Tribes at Fort Hall Reservation in Bannock County separately passed formal opposition to the proposed Pocatello AI data center (see Shoshone-Bannock FHBC Opposition to Pocatello Data Center (2026) in seed-2026-08.js). This is the county-government-level regulatory action, distinct from the Tribal Council's resolution.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Bannock County, ID |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | July 30, 2026 |
| Citation | Bannock County, Idaho — Board of Commissioners emergency moratorium resolution (July 30, 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 | Bannock County approves 180-day emergency moratorium on data center permits — LocalNews8/KIFI |
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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