Ludlow KY one-year data center moratorium (2026)
Ludlow, KY — Ordinance No. 2026-13: One-Year Moratorium on Data Center and IT Infrastructure Applications (July 23, 2026)
Ludlow, KY · City of Ludlow, Ky. — Ordinance No. 2026-13 (July 23, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- July 23, 2027
- Applies to
- Applicants seeking approvals for data centers or other IT-related infrastructure facilities in Ludlow; City of Ludlow planning and permitting staff.
- Enforced by
- City of Ludlow / Northern Kentucky Planning and Development Services (PDS)
The Ludlow City Council approved an ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on accepting applications for IT-related infrastructure facilities, including data centers, on July 23, 2026 as Ordinance No. 2026-13. The city's stated reason is structural rather than reactive: Ludlow's zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan simply do not address data-center development at all, so there is no framework under which an application could be properly evaluated. City attorneys were preparing an application to begin drafting amendments to the zoning regulations during the moratorium period, with the goal of having updated zoning language completed and approved before the pause expires. Officials also expected to meet with PDS (the Northern Kentucky Planning and Development Services agency), and noted that because other Northern Kentucky communities were exploring similar measures there may be opportunities for a coordinated regional approach. Ludlow is a small Ohio River city in Kenton County, across from Cincinnati.
Who is protected: Ludlow residents, through a one-year pause on IT-infrastructure and data center applications while the city writes zoning rules that currently do not exist for this use.
Legal detail
City of Ludlow, Ky. ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on acceptance of applications for IT-related infrastructure facilities, including data centers. First reading the week of July 13, 2026; adopted on second reading July 23, 2026 as Ordinance No. 2026-13. Rationale is the absence of any data-center provisions in the city's zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan. Remedial work during the pause: city attorneys to file an application initiating zoning text amendments, coordination with Northern Kentucky Planning and Development Services (PDS), and possible regional alignment with other Northern Kentucky jurisdictions weighing comparable measures. Adoption date and ordinance number established from LINK nky's two-part coverage of the first and second readings.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Ludlow, KY |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | July 23, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Ludlow, Ky. — Ordinance No. 2026-13 (July 23, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Applications for IT infrastructure facilities not accepted during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Ludlow approves moratorium on data centers, other IT infrastructure projects — LINK nky |
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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