Brighton Township MI 6-month data center moratorium (2026)
Brighton Charter Township (Livingston County), MI — Board of Trustees Adopts Six-Month Moratorium on Accepting or Processing Data Center Applications (September 2026)
Brighton Township, MI · Charter Township of Brighton, Mich., draft Ordinance to Enact a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers (agenda Sept. 21, 2026)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Data center applicants in Brighton Township
- Enforced by
- Brighton Township planning/zoning staff; Board of Trustees
Brighton Charter Township's Board of Trustees adopted an ordinance pausing the acceptance and processing of any data center applications for six months while the township reviews its ordinances, which do not specifically mention data centers. The pause ends early if new data center rules take effect, and the board can extend it by resolution. The township manager called it a 'housekeeping item' prompted by Michigan Townships Association advice; no data center is proposed in the township.
Who is protected: Brighton Township residents
Legal detail
Charter Township of Brighton, Livingston County, Michigan — draft 'Ordinance to Enact a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers' (MTA sample ordinance) in the Sept. 21, 2026 Board of Trustees packet, agenda item F.6 'ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE – Moratorium on Data Centers'; roll-call vote required; staff recommendation: adopt. Section II: temporary moratorium on the acceptance and/or processing of any applications for a data center, in effect six months following adoption or until amended/new data center ordinances take effect, whichever first. Section III: Board may extend by resolution before expiry. Effective upon publication after adoption. Findings cite public health/safety concerns and Michigan case law recognizing moratoria. STATUS: adopted. Official Sept. 21, 2026 packet (agenda note + MTA sample ordinance, staff recommendation: adopt) plus WHMI (Sept. 22, 2026: 'Brighton Twp Adopts Moratorium on New Data Center Applications'; Township Manager Brian Vick: six-month period to review the ordinance, 'housekeeping item', no project proposed). enacted_date 2026-09-21 = the board meeting at which the item was scheduled (Monday; weekday checked); WHMI does not state the date explicitly. Livingston Daily (Sept. 24, headline 'Brighton Township approves moratorium on data centers') paywalled, not read. NOT ESTABLISHED: vote tally, ordinance number, publication (= effective) date, therefore no expires_date.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Brighton Township, MI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 21, 2026 |
| Citation | Charter Township of Brighton, Mich., draft Ordinance to Enact a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers (agenda Sept. 21, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located source |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Agency page | Charter Township of Brighton Board of Trustees — September 21, 2026 Regular Meeting Agenda Packet (Moratorium Ordinance on Data Centers) |
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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