Oklahoma City passes moratorium to block new data centers through 2026

The Oklahoma City Council has unanimously enacted an emergency moratorium, halting new applications for data center developments until December 31, 2026. This measure was passed after councilmembers heard extensive concerns from residents about the expansion of hyperscale data centers and their significant demand for land, water, and electricity. City Manager Craig Freeman explained that the ordinance allows leaders to evaluate concerns with staff and developers and to potentially amend city codes to specifically address hyperscale data centers. The moratorium exempts two data centers with pending rezoning applications, located near Interstate 40 and Frisco Road, and Northwest 23rd Street and Frisco Road. Local activist Taylor Sanchez of Honor the Earth expressed environmental justice concerns regarding water usage and public health, advocating for the ordinance to ensure transparency and community input. She highlighted that local moratoriums are crucial tools for communities facing resource-heavy data center developments. Mayor David Holt acknowledged the national scope of the data center expansion issue, emphasizing the need for the pause to allow the city and the country to better understand the impacts. Conversely, multiple data center operators argued that the ordinance was too broad, potentially impacting existing or smaller enterprise operations. Trevor Francis, CEO of Scale Datacenter, voiced concerns that the moratorium would hinder his company's expansion plans despite their decades of operation in the city. Mayor Holt later indicated that the council would consider amendments to differentiate between hyperscale centers, which are the primary concern, and smaller, long-standing operations.