Jeffersonville IN one-year data center moratorium (2026)
Jeffersonville, IN — City Council Unanimous One-Year Data Center Moratorium (August 3, 2026)
Jeffersonville, IN · City of Jeffersonville, Ind. — One-Year Data Center Moratorium (Aug. 3, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- August 3, 2027
- Applies to
- Developers seeking approvals for new data centers within Jeffersonville's zoning jurisdiction; city planning and permitting staff.
- Enforced by
- City of Jeffersonville Planning and Zoning / Jeffersonville Plan Commission
The Jeffersonville City Council voted 8-0 on August 3, 2026 to halt new data center development for a year, and suspended its own standard rules to push the ordinance through all three required readings in a single session. The administration had proposed a six-month pause; Councilmember Jackie Snelling moved it to a full year, which pushes expiry to mid-2027 and — the stated reason — makes sure the plan commission has time to finish permanent zoning rules before the Indiana legislature is back in session and might constrain what cities can do. The year is for updating the city's Unified Development Ordinance to regulate data centers properly. One large carve-out defines the measure's real reach: it does not apply to the River Ridge Commerce Center or the Meta data center nearing completion there. River Ridge sits on the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, and federal and state reuse statutes plus a decades-old interlocal agreement leave ultimate zoning authority with the River Ridge Development Authority rather than the city — so Jeffersonville could not have reached that site even if it wanted to. The vote came amid resident pushback and what local coverage described as major utility disclosures. Jeffersonville is in Clark County, across the Ohio River from Louisville.
Who is protected: Jeffersonville residents, through a one-year pause on new data center development while the city rewrites its Unified Development Ordinance. Residents near the River Ridge Commerce Center are NOT covered — that land is outside city zoning authority.
Legal detail
City of Jeffersonville, Ind. ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on new data center development, adopted 8-0 by City Council on Monday, August 3, 2026. Procedural note: the council suspended its standard rules to advance the ordinance through all three statutorily required readings within a single session. Term: extended from the administration's proposed six months to twelve months on Councilmember Jackie Snelling's motion, with the stated rationale that a full year guarantees the plan commission finishes permanent zoning rules before the Indiana General Assembly reconvenes. Purpose: update the city's Unified Development Ordinance to regulate data centers. JURISDICTIONAL CARVE-OUT, material to scope: the moratorium does NOT apply to the River Ridge Commerce Center or to the Meta data center nearing completion there. River Ridge occupies the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant; federal and state military reuse statutes govern its land use and, under a decades-old interlocal agreement, the River Ridge Development Authority holds ultimate zoning authority — the exclusion reflects a limit on municipal power, not a policy concession. Ordinance number not reported. Note on naming: distinct from a same-period one-year moratorium adopted by Jefferson (Ashtabula County, Ohio) village council, a different jurisdiction reported under a near-identical headline.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Jeffersonville, IN |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 3, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Jeffersonville, Ind. — One-Year Data Center Moratorium (Aug. 3, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | New data center development is not approved during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Jeffersonville approves 1-year data center moratorium — Louisville Public Media |
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
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.