Moore County TN two-year data center moratorium
Metropolitan Lynchburg-Moore County, TN — Two-Year Data Center Moratorium (Final Approval April 20, 2026); Planning Commission Drafting Rules (Oct. 2026)
Moore County, TN · Metropolitan Lynchburg-Moore County, TN, two-year data center moratorium (final approval Apr. 20, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Moore County, TN
- Enforced by
- Metropolitan Lynchburg-Moore County Council; Planning and Zoning Commission
The Metro Council of Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee gave final approval on April 20, 2026 to a two-year pause on new data centers, crypto mines and similar projects, giving the county time to decide where they may go and under what rules. In October 2026 the Planning and Zoning Commission began drafting those rules, discussing heavy-industrial-only zoning, a water cap, closed-loop cooling, height and setback limits, and noise standards.
Who is protected: Moore County, TN residents
Legal detail
Moore County (TN) Metro Council: two-year moratorium on new data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and similar high-impact computing facilities (no new applications incl. zoning requests, plats, building permits); P&Z recommended 6-0 on March 3, 2026 (MCO Mar. 4); final approval Monday April 20, 2026 (MCO Apr. 20; vote count not stated — the '9-2' in that article's subhead refers to a pool-repair vote). P&Z working draft (Oct. 6, 2026): I-2 heavy industrial favored over I-1; water capped at 100,000 gallons; closed-loop cooling; 35-ft max height; setbacks; 60 dB ceiling with lower nighttime limit considered. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number, effective and expiry dates.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Moore County, TN |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | April 20, 2026 |
| Citation | Metropolitan Lynchburg-Moore County, TN, two-year data center moratorium (final approval Apr. 20, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Moore County begins writing the rules for data centers during moratorium — Moore County Observer (Oct. 6, 2026) |
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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