Milldam Minute

Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly

This week’s Zoning In features more federal and local political coverage than usual as the industry assesses the midterm results and their implications for data center development. Among the standout pieces: Bisnow’s examination of new development hurdles, calls for a national moratorium, and Minnesota races where community opposition helped unseat incumbents. Election Day didn’t reset the debate, it gave community concerns additional political weight. For developers and the broader ecosystem of utilities, suppliers, and investors, […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In follows data center disputes from council chambers to the ballot box. Ohio voters will decide 21 local data center ballot issues, while San Diego unanimously approved a development moratorium and protests forced Hermantown to postpone votes on Google’s proposed campus. In Wisconsin, a $15 billion project is dividing Port Washington over competing visions of the community’s future. Additionally, bipartisan organizing, growing youth involvement and calls for enforceable community benefits underscore the […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In covers Archbald, Pennsylvania’s unanimous rejection of a 14-building campus, a 14,800-signature petition seeking a data center referendum in Georgia, and bans or moratoriums across more than 100 New Jersey communities. In California, local restrictions continue to spread despite new state protections, while Georgia’s utility commission races put data center power costs squarely on the ballot. From school board opposition to lawsuits over alleged well contamination, communities are demanding more influence over […]

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The Data Center Moratorium: An Opportunity to Engage, Not Retreat

The Data Center Moratorium: An Opportunity to Engage, Not Retreat

in Milldam Minute

When data center development is put on hold, community engagement shouldn’t be. Developers who use the time to build relationships, address concerns, and work with local officials can turn a setback into an opportunity. By Adam Waitkunas When a community imposes a moratorium on data center development, many developers’ instinct is to put everything on hold, keep a low profile, and wait for the restrictions to expire. Others may turn immediately to legal action. While […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In highlights several major developments, including a proposed three-year statewide moratorium in Virginia, new restrictions in Maryland and Delaware, and a legal challenge to a $35 billion project in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, nearly $87 million has been spent on political ads mentioning data centers ahead of the midterms, and a new report estimates Georgia schools could lose $300 million this year due to data center tax exemptions. From heated town halls to lawsuits […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute

This week’s Zoning In highlights some significant developments in the growing pushback against data center expansion. A new Heatmap Pro analysis estimates that more than $260 billion in planned data center investments have been canceled in 2026 amid local opposition, while another $1 trillion faces meaningful resistance. Meanwhile, San Francisco and Raleigh approved new moratoriums, Hillsboro, Oregon, is considering zoning changes that would dramatically restrict future development, and Mahomet, Illinois, abandoned discussions with a developer […]

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Don’t Count on Election Day to Cool Data Center Community Pushback

Don’t Count on Election Day to Cool Data Center Community Pushback

in Milldam Minute

The midterms may be amplifying the data center debate, but the industry shouldn’t mistake an election-year spotlight for the source of the backlash. By Adam Waitkunas At nearly every data center conference I attend lately, I hear some version of the same prediction: Once the midterm elections are over, the temperature around data centers will come down. I wouldn’t count on it. There is no question that data centers have become a political issue in […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In highlights just how quickly the regulatory landscape around data centers is changing. California enacted a sweeping seven-bill package covering environmental review, energy, water, utility costs and land use, with Mayer Brown providing an excellent analysis of what the new laws mean for the industry. Virginia also introduced a new Data Center Accountability Framework, while new moratoriums and restrictions advanced in communities across Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado and Kentucky. Microsoft goes quiet after […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam Monthly, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In shows just how quickly the data center debate is moving from community concern to concrete political and regulatory action. California enacted seven new data center laws, Texas expanded its permitting pause, Prince William County ended new by-right development, and communities from Chicago and Oakland to Colorado, Oregon and New Hampshire are considering or adopting moratoriums. Maryland, meanwhile, is building community engagement, transparency and community benefits directly into its statewide review framework. […]

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Zoning In

Zoning In

in Client News, Milldam Minute, Milldam News

This week’s Zoning In points to a more challenging environment for data center development — and especially community engagement. The headline number is hard to ignore: a new UMass Amherst poll found that just 11% of Americans support an AI data center in their community, while 65% oppose one. Perhaps more significant, that opposition cuts across political and demographic lines and is driven largely by tangible local concerns around natural resources, land use, disruption and […]

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