The Urban Institute published a checklist of 25 questions organized into four areas, covering accountability and governance, community engagement, revenue and tax base, and outcomes related to utility costs, infrastructure, jobs, and public land, to help local policymakers navigate decisions about data center development. The article notes that as of September 2026, 313 moratoriums have been enacted affecting 44 states and more than 200 cities, counties, and other localities, with a federal pause also under discussion. Data centers accounted for 4.4 percent of all U.S. electricity consumption in 2023, a share projected to reach 12 percent by 2028; a 2025 study cited in the article estimated that electricity bills could rise 8 percent nationally and as much as 25 percent in high-growth areas. The checklist draws on examples from El Paso, Texas; Chandler, Arizona; Loudoun County, Virginia; and Prince William County, Virginia, among others.
With 313 moratoriums now in effect across 44 states, local governments face a narrow window to establish frameworks before development pressure resumes, making structured policy guidance directly relevant to hundreds of jurisdictions simultaneously. The checklist's emphasis on community engagement before zoning and tax decisions are finalized addresses a documented gap, as most residents currently learn about planned data centers only after permitting processes are already underway.
The Urban Institute releasing a structured policy framework for state and municipal data center moratoriums is a notable think-tank intervention in an active national regulatory debate, offering guidance that may directly shape government decisions. No similar article covering this event was reviewed.