Chicago proposes 12-month moratorium on new data centers
Chicago has introduced an ordinance proposing a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments and material expansions. This pause would allow the city's Data Centers Task Force to develop comprehensive regulations addressing environmental impacts, energy use, and quality of life concerns. The move follows recommendations from a working group and an executive order establishing the task force.
The City of Chicago, led by Mayor Johnson and several aldermen including Maria Hadden (49th Ward), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward), and Lamont J. Robinson (4th Ward), has proposed an ordinance for a 12-month moratorium on new data center developments and expansions. This temporary halt is intended to give the city's Data Centers Task Force time to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework.
The task force will focus on potential impacts of data centers on air and water quality, energy use, and residents' health and quality of life. Mayor Johnson stated that while Chicago is open for business, growth must be responsible and protective of residents' well-being. This initiative builds on an executive order issued in August by Johnson, which established the task force to implement short-term protections and work on longer-term regulations.
The proposed moratorium follows a July report from the Sustainable Data Centers Working Group, which offered policy recommendations after engaging with industry, utilities, environmental organizations, and community stakeholders. Chicago's Chief Sustainability Officer and Commissioner of the Department of Environment, Angela Tovar, affirmed the city's commitment to developing "reliable, scalable guardrails" to protect Chicagoans from negative impacts. The ordinance also aims to strengthen transparency requirements regarding data center resource consumption.