Louisville Metro six-month data center moratorium (O-135-26)
Louisville Metro, KY — Ordinance O-135-26: Six-Month Moratorium on Data Center Rezonings, Conditional Use Permits and Development Plans (August 13, 2026)
Louisville, KY · Louisville/Jefferson Cnty. Metro Gov't Ordinance O-135-26 (Aug. 13, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- February 13, 2027
- Applies to
- Applicants for rezonings, conditional use permits, or Category 2B/3 development plans for data centers or telecommunication hotels in Louisville Metro, including anyone seeking to convert an existing building to data center use; Louisville Metro planning staff.
- Enforced by
- Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services / Louisville Metro Council
Louisville Metro Council voted 24-1 on August 13, 2026 to pause new data center development across Louisville-Jefferson County for six months, or until the Council adopts comprehensive data center zoning rules — whichever comes first. Ordinance O-135-26 was sponsored by District 15 Democrat Jennifer Chappell, who had reintroduced it after an earlier attempt stalled amid council wariness in June. It suspends rezonings, conditional use permits, and Category 2B and 3 development plan applications tied to data centers and telecommunication hotels. During the meeting the council amended the ordinance so the pause also catches anyone trying to convert an existing building into a data center without new construction — closing the most obvious way around it. Council members kept the pause at six months rather than the full year some residents had asked for. The Planning and Zoning Committee had advanced it 7-1 on August 5, after a public comment meeting the following day was dominated by the issue. Officials said six months gives the council time to work through the energy and water demands of hyperscale facilities, infrastructure needs, tax implications, and noise impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
Who is protected: Louisville-Jefferson County residents, particularly neighborhoods near candidate sites, through a pause on data center land-use approvals while the Metro Council writes permanent zoning rules addressing energy and water demand, infrastructure, taxes and noise.
Legal detail
Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government Ordinance O-135-26, passed 24-1 by the 26-member Metro Council on August 13, 2026. Temporary moratorium on approval of rezonings, conditional use permits, and Category 2B and Category 3 development plan applications relating to telecommunication hotels and data centers. Term: six months, or until Metro Council adopts comprehensive data center zoning regulations, whichever occurs first. Floor amendment extended scope to adaptive reuse — conversion of an existing building to data center use that requires no new construction — which would otherwise have fallen outside the listed application categories. Procedural history: originally introduced and stalled (council wariness reported June 1, 2026); reintroduced by Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell (D-15); Planning and Zoning Committee recommendation 7-1 (August 5, 2026); public comment meeting August 6; final passage August 13. Council declined to extend the term to one year as some residents requested. expires_date is computed as six months from passage and is the outer bound — adoption of permanent zoning rules would end it sooner.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Louisville, KY |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 13, 2026 |
| Citation | Louisville/Jefferson Cnty. Metro Gov't Ordinance O-135-26 (Aug. 13, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Covered applications are not approved during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Louisville Metro Council approves data center moratorium as new proposal sparks controversy — Louisville Public Media |
More AI rules in Louisville, KY
- Louisville Metro GenAI Policy · In effect
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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