Howard County IN one-year data center moratorium (2026-BCCO-32)
Howard County, IN — Commissioners Adopt One-Year Moratorium on Data Center Permit Applications in Unincorporated Areas (Ordinance 2026-BCCO-32, Aug. 17, 2026)
Howard County, IN · Howard County, IN Ordinance 2026-BCCO-32 (adopted Aug. 17, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- August 17, 2026
- Applies to
- Data center developers in unincorporated Howard County
- Enforced by
- Howard County Board of Commissioners / Plan Commission
Howard County, Indiana stopped accepting permit applications for new data centers in unincorporated parts of the county for one year while officials write rules for them. It does not cover Kokomo or other towns. It may end early if permanent rules are finished, or be extended.
Who is protected: Unincorporated Howard County, IN residents
Legal detail
Howard County, IN Board of Commissioners, Ordinance 2026-BCCO-32, approved Mon. 2026-08-17 (Kokomo Tribune, Aug. 18). Temporarily prevents companies from applying for or obtaining permits to develop data centers in unincorporated Howard County for one year (~2027-08-17, computed); may end early on adoption of permanent regulations or be extended. County Attorney Alan Wilson: data centers may need oversight beyond existing zoning. Excludes Kokomo and other incorporated communities (see Kokomo IN data center zoning standards (2026)). Vote tally not reported.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Howard County, IN |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 17, 2026 |
| Citation | Howard County, IN Ordinance 2026-BCCO-32 (adopted Aug. 17, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Permit applications not accepted during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Howard County approves one-year moratorium on data center permits — Kokomo Tribune (Aug. 18, 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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