Morgan County IL 6-month data center moratorium (2026)
Morgan County, IL: Commissioners Adopt Six-Month Data Center Moratorium (Apr. 27, 2026); Advisory Referendum on Data Center Restrictions Nov. 3, 2026
Morgan County, IL · Morgan County, Ill., Board of Commissioners six-month data center moratorium (adopted Apr. 27, 2026); Nov. 3, 2026 advisory referendum
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- October 27, 2026
- Applies to
- Developers of large-scale data centers in Morgan County, IL
- Enforced by
- Morgan County Board of Commissioners
Morgan County, Illinois (around Jacksonville) put a six-month pause on large data centers on April 27, 2026, after residents asked for time to weigh the costs and benefits. More than 360 people signed a petition. The county has no zoning ordinance, so the pause gives officials time to set standards before any proposal arrives. The pause runs to about late October 2026. On November 3, 2026, voters will also answer an advisory (non-binding) question on whether the county should restrict data centers.
Who is protected: Morgan County, IL residents (water, power, tax impacts of large data centers)
Legal detail
Morgan County, Illinois. INSTRUMENT: six-month moratorium on large-scale data center development adopted by the three-member Board of Commissioners on April 27, 2026. A 12-month review was proposed (Woods) and shortened to six months on the State's Attorney's advice as more legally workable. CONTEXT: county has no zoning ordinance, so the moratorium works as a planning window to research and set standards. TERM: about Apr. 27 to Oct. 27, 2026 (exact end date not confirmed). BALLOT: Nov. 3, 2026 countywide advisory question on restricting data center construction and operation (non-binding).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Morgan County, IL |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | April 27, 2026 |
| Citation | Morgan County, Ill., Board of Commissioners six-month data center moratorium (adopted Apr. 27, 2026); Nov. 3, 2026 advisory referendum |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Data center applications not accepted during moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | More counties consider data center moratoriums (NPR Illinois, Apr. 29, 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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