Charleston IL 1-year data center and BESS moratorium
Charleston, IL — City Council Unanimously Adopts a One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems (Oct. 6, 2026)
Charleston, IL · Charleston, IL one-year data center and BESS moratorium (adopted Oct. 6, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- October 6, 2027
- Applies to
- Data center and battery energy storage developers in Charleston, IL
- Enforced by
- City of Charleston, IL
Charleston, Illinois paused zoning approvals, permits, variances and other development approvals for data centers and battery energy storage systems for one year. The council voted unanimously on Oct. 6, 2026, saying it needs time to study power, water, noise, fire safety and stormwater issues. Home battery systems for one- and two-family homes are still allowed.
Who is protected: Charleston, IL residents
Legal detail
Charleston (Coles County, IL) moratorium ordinance, adopted 5-0 Tuesday Oct. 6, 2026: no zoning approvals, permits, variances or other development authorizations for data centers or battery energy storage systems in city limits until Oct. 6, 2027 or adoption of new ordinances, whichever first. Exemption: residential BESS for one- and two-family dwellings. Neighboring Mattoon adopted a one-year moratorium in Sept. 2026 (Mattoon IL self-renewing data center moratorium (2026)). NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Charleston, IL |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | October 6, 2026 |
| Citation | Charleston, IL one-year data center and BESS moratorium (adopted Oct. 6, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Charleston City Council approves data center moratorium on Tuesday — MyRadioLink/WMCI (Oct. 8, 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
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