No New Data Centers in OKC… For Now
News Clip2:12OKC, Tulsa & Statewide News: Oklahoma Memo·Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, OK·4/23/2026
Oklahoma City has enacted an immediate moratorium on new data center permits and rezoning requests, effective until at least December 31, 2026. This unexpected move halts all new data center construction and expansion within the city. The decision comes amidst a surge in data center interest.
moratoriumzoninggovernment
Gov: City of Oklahoma City, city council
Oklahoma City has surprised many by enacting an immediate moratorium on new data centers, prohibiting the acceptance of new applications, processing of, and issuance of rezoning requests and permits for data center construction or expansion. The moratorium is set to remain in place until December 31, 2026, or until amendments to the city's zoning code regarding data centers are approved by the city council.
The news was highlighted by Ryan Welton, creator of the "Oklahoma Memo" newsletter, who noted the difficulty in keeping track of data center developments. He mentioned Michael Thomas, a clean energy reporter and CEO of Clean View, whose website (cleanview.co) tracks clean energy and data center projects across the United States. Clean View offers a page dedicated to Oklahoma, featuring maps of existing and planned major data centers. While basic information is available, detailed insights such as developers and capacity require a paid subscription.
This measure by Oklahoma City underscores growing regulatory scrutiny on data center development, indicating a desire to review and potentially revise local zoning ordinances to manage their rapid expansion.