California
Active Bans / MoratoriumsCalifornia now has the most comprehensive statewide data center laws in the nation. On September 21, 2026 Governor Newsom signed a seven-bill package — SB 1168 (McNerney), SB 886 (Padilla), SB 887, AB 1577, AB 2383, AB 2469 and AB 2619 — imposing reporting, infrastructure-cost and environmental requirements on data centers covering power, water and land use. SB 1168 directs the CPUC to ensure data centers pay for the transmission and distribution upgrades their load requires; SB 886 creates a separate electricity rate class for data centers; SB 887 requires environmental impact review. Local action continues to accelerate. Calexico's council voted 3-0 on September 16 to ban data centers via zoning code amendment — the third California city to do so. Tulare County extended its unincorporated-area moratorium by 10 months on a 5-0 vote on September 22 while it drafts permanent zoning rules (options include conditional use permits or an outright ban), and Oakland's City Council unanimously enacted a 45-day moratorium on October 6, 2026, effective immediately and extendable another 45 days while the city studies energy, water and public-health impacts. Mendocino County's supervisors voted 4-1 on October 6 to extend their urgency moratorium through August 21, 2028, exempting facilities under 3 MW. On September 15, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced an interim moratorium on new data centers, expansions and power upgrades — a first step toward permanent restrictions. Palm Springs extended its moratorium through August 25, 2028 on September 28, and Tulare County's supervisors adopted a formal position opposing data center development 3-2 on September 30. Earlier local restrictions remain in force across the Coachella Valley (Coachella's permanent ban, plus earlier bans in Perris and Desert Hot Springs), Imperial County (pause extended to a full year in July), Monterey Park (through January 2027), Indio, Escondido and Fresno, where the council voted 7-0 on September 3 to begin drafting a 10-year citywide ban. In Imperial County, the Superior Court issued a final ruling halting a nearly 1-million-square-foot data center complex because the county approved a lot merger without CEQA review; the developer has vowed to appeal. And after a Superior Court struck down Imperial County's moratorium in September, its Board of Supervisors unanimously reinstated a temporary emergency moratorium on October 6, 2026, while weighing a possible special election on data center limits. In mid-October the wave reached San Francisco: the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Walton's interim moratorium on October 13, 2026, and Mayor Daniel Lurie signed it on October 16 — a 45-day citywide pause on new data center approvals, extendable to roughly 22 months, that halts a NOVVA project in Bayview and a 49.5 MW Dogpatch building. Richmond's 45-day urgency moratorium (Ordinance No. 13-26 N.S., adopted September 15) runs through October 30, with an October 20 hearing on a 22-month-and-15-day extension. In mid-to-late October 2026, Gilroy extended its moratorium by over ten months (exempting the $2B AWS facility under construction), Hawthorne extended its moratorium through September 2027, and San Mateo County supervisors began evaluating zoning limits for unincorporated areas after dropping a proposed countywide ban.
Legislation
| Bill | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SB 1168 | Data centers: rate structures (Sen. Jerry McNerney) — CPUC to ensure data centers pay their share of transmission and distribution costs | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| SB 886 | Data center electricity rates (Sen. Steve Padilla) — separate CPUC rate class for data centers | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| SB 887 | Data center environmental impact review requirement | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| AB 1577 | Data center oversight — part of the seven-bill package covering power, water and land use | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| AB 2383 | Data center electricity rates — CPUC special rate structure for large data centers | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| AB 2469 | Data center oversight — part of the seven-bill package covering power, water and land use | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
| AB 2619 | Data center oversight — part of the seven-bill package covering power, water and land use | Signed into law September 21, 2026 |
Local Actions
City Council unanimously adopted 45-day moratorium on data center applications, later extended through January 2027. Council voted to place a permanent citywide data center ban on the June 2026 ballot.
After a Superior Court judge struck down the county's earlier data center moratorium in September 2026 for insufficient findings, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on October 6, 2026 to reinstate a temporary emergency moratorium, calling data centers a 'current and immediate threat' to the valley's water supply; two supervisors are pressing for a special election on data center limits.
City Council voted unanimously to extend its temporary moratorium on new data center projects, giving staff more time to evaluate community impacts.
Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on September 22, 2026 to extend the county's data center moratorium in unincorporated areas by 10 months while staff complete a regulatory review and draft permanent zoning rules; options under evaluation include conditional use permits, zoning requirements, or an outright ban. Original 45-day moratorium was adopted August 19, 2026. On September 30, 2026 the Board of Supervisors additionally adopted a formal position opposing data center development in the county on a 3-2 vote.
City Council passed a permanent ban on data centers within city limits on August 25, 2026, making Coachella the third Riverside County city to ban them after Perris and Desert Hot Springs.
City issued a policy statement opposing data centers without meaningful local review; current zoning prohibits data centers and no change is planned.
City Council voted on September 28, 2026 (with the required four-fifths majority) to extend the city's data center moratorium through August 25, 2028 — a 22-month extension of the 45-day urgency ordinance originally adopted August 26, 2026 — while the city studies water, energy and infrastructure impacts and writes permanent zoning rules.
Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on October 6, 2026 to extend the September 1 urgency moratorium (originally set to expire October 16) through August 21, 2028, adding an exemption for facilities drawing under 3 MW.
City Council unanimously approved a 45-day urgency moratorium on AI data centers and expansions in late August 2026, framed as a public health and safety measure; staff findings are due October 10, with extensions of up to a year possible. No applications are currently pending.
City Council voted 7-0 on September 3, 2026 to direct staff to draft a Development Code text amendment banning data centers citywide for 10 years, applying to current and future city land; Mayor Jerry Dyer co-sponsored the measure. Staff estimate the amendment could take several months to a year to return for adoption.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed Supervisor Shamann Walton's interim moratorium on new data centers on October 13, 2026, and Mayor Daniel Lurie signed it on October 16, 2026. The 45-day citywide pause on new data center approvals can be extended to roughly 22 months while planning staff study energy, water, air quality, land use and community impacts; a hearing is due by November. Two projects are halted: a NOVVA site in Bayview and a 49.5 MW Dogpatch building.
The Board of Supervisors rejected a proposed requirement that AI data center projects receive voter approval; sponsor Supervisor Cummings may pursue a ballot petition instead.
City Council voted 3-0 on September 16, 2026 to ban data centers via a zoning code amendment, becoming the third California city to do so; the ordinance formalizes that data centers are not a permitted use following the city's June moratorium process.
City Council voted unanimously on October 6, 2026 to enact a 45-day moratorium on new data center development, effective immediately and extendable by another 45 days, while staff study energy, water, public health and environmental impacts.
City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 13-26 N.S. on September 15, 2026 — a 45-day moratorium on issuing or approving permits and land-use entitlements for new data centers, expiring October 30, 2026. A public hearing on October 20, 2026 will consider extending it by 22 months and 15 days while the city studies impacts.
The city council extended Gilroy's data center moratorium by 10 months and 15 days on October 19, 2026; the pause does not affect the $2B AWS facility already under construction but covers any future application, including a possible second Amazon facility.
Supervisors voted on October 20, 2026 to begin evaluating zoning limits on data centers in unincorporated areas; a countywide ban was dropped from the original proposal.
The city council extended Hawthorne's moratorium on new and expanded data centers through September 2027 on October 13, 2026, while officials weigh permanent rules.