North Mankato MN 12-month data center moratorium (2026)
North Mankato, MN — City Council Unanimously Adopts 12-Month Moratorium and Study on Data Centers Over 150,000 Sq Ft or 50,000 Gallons/Day (September 21, 2026)
North Mankato, MN · City of North Mankato, MN — data center moratorium ordinance (Sept. 21, 2026)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Data center developers in North Mankato
- Enforced by
- City of North Mankato
North Mankato's City Council voted unanimously on September 21, 2026 to pause data centers for 12 months. During that time no new data centers may be built and the city will not accept, review, process or approve applications. The ordinance covers facilities larger than 150,000 square feet and/or using 50,000 gallons of water a day or more, and orders a study of local impacts and how other communities regulate data centers. KEYC reports the moratorium can be renewed for another year.
Who is protected: North Mankato residents
Legal detail
City of North Mankato, Minnesota — interim moratorium ordinance adopted UNANIMOUSLY Monday Sept. 21, 2026 following a public hearing (the second; the council tabled the item on Aug. 3, 2026 after a first hearing — KEYC). TERM: 12 months (Mankato Free Press); KEYC: 'up to twelve months, with the option to renew the moratorium for an additional year'. SCOPE: no new data center construction; city will not accept, review, process or approve applications. DEFINITION: 'a building or other facility used principally for the storage, management, processing and/or transmission of digital data ... and exceeds 150,000 square feet and/or 50,000 gallons of water per day or more.' STUDY: authorizes a study of 'relevant localized impacts and how other communities regulate them.' City Attorney Michael Kennedy noted the legislature is considering a statewide moratorium. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number; effective date (publication) — effective_date left null; expires_date left null.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | North Mankato, MN |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 21, 2026 |
| Citation | City of North Mankato, MN — data center moratorium ordinance (Sept. 21, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | North Mankato City Council passes 12-month moratorium on data center construction — Mankato Free Press |
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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