San Francisco Supervisors Approve 45-Day Data Center Moratorium
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an immediate 45-day moratorium on permits for new data centers and expansions of existing facilities. The pause will allow the city to study energy, water, air quality, land-use and community impacts while developing permanent regulations and a clearer definition of data centers.
San Francisco supervisors unanimously enacted a 45-day urgency ordinance halting approval of permits for new data centers and expansions of existing facilities. The moratorium took effect immediately and makes San Francisco the first county in the Bay Area to impose such a pause.
District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, who proposed the measure, cited concerns about data centers’ electricity and water consumption, noise, air quality, potential water contamination and effects on nearby communities. Walton said the city also needs greater transparency and a clearer definition of data centers before developing long-term rules. An amendment proposed by Supervisor Matt Dorsey clarified that the moratorium does not cover server rooms used solely for a business’s onsite operations.