No new data centers in Reno as council adopts moratorium, starts drafting new regulations
Reno City Council has formally adopted a temporary moratorium on new data center approvals, effective until August 31, 2027. This decision was made after significant public comment regarding environmental concerns over water and electricity usage. City staff have also been directed to begin drafting new regulations for data centers.
The Reno City Council has officially implemented a temporary moratorium on the approval of new data centers within the city limits. The moratorium, which passed with a 6-1 vote, will remain in effect until August 31, 2027, but does not impact data centers that have already received permits.
The council's decision followed several hours of public testimony, where most speakers expressed support for the moratorium due to environmental concerns related to data centers' high water and electricity consumption. Activists like B Fulkerson characterized data centers as "gluttonous energy vampires" driven by AI demands. Concurrently, council members instructed staff to develop a text amendment to the city code that will introduce specific regulations for data centers, potentially covering water and energy usage, sustainability, building safety, noise, air quality, community benefits, and permitted locations.
Opposition to the moratorium came from local trade unions, including Shane Henderson of Sheet Metal Workers Local 26, who argued that halting such projects would negatively affect the local economy and job creation for skilled workers in Northern Nevada.