Davidson County NC 4-month data center moratorium (proposed, 2026)
Davidson County, NC — Commissioners Vote 4-2 to Set Oct. 26 Public Hearing on a Four-Month Data Center Moratorium (September 2026)
Davidson County, NC · Davidson County, N.C., Board of Commissioners — public hearing set Oct. 26, 2026 on 4-month data center moratorium
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Davidson County jurisdiction (if adopted)
- Enforced by
- Davidson County Board of Commissioners; Planning and Zoning
Davidson County commissioners voted 4-2 to hold a public hearing on October 26, 2026 on a four-month pause on data centers. A six-month version had died on a 3-3 vote on August 24. No data center has been proposed in the county, and county planning staff are drafting zoning rules for where data centers could go. The moratorium itself still needs a vote after the hearing.
Who is protected: Davidson County, NC residents
Legal detail
Davidson County, North Carolina — Board of Commissioners, meeting Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 (WFDD caption dates the meeting Sept. 28). Motion to set an Oct. 26, 2026 public hearing on a FOUR-MONTH data center moratorium passed 4-2: YES — Tripp Kester, Matt Mizell, Chris Elliott, Steve Shook (newly appointed in place of the late Fred McClure); NO — Chairwoman Karen Watford, Steve Shell; Todd Yates absent. Kester reduced his request from six to four months as a compromise. PRIOR: Aug. 24, 2026 a six-month moratorium died 3-3 after a public hearing; Mizell first proposed a moratorium in July. Planning and Zoning Director Lee Crook's staff are drafting data center regulations. County Attorney Adam Jones said the board must hold the Oct. 26 hearing before any moratorium can be imposed (Davidson Local). NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance text, scope beyond 'data centers'.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Davidson County, NC |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Citation | Davidson County, N.C., Board of Commissioners — public hearing set Oct. 26, 2026 on 4-month data center moratorium |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not applicable (proposed) |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Four-month data center pause in Davidson County advances amid divide — The Dispatch |
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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