Kentucky local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Kentucky, current through September 23, 2026.

34 instruments — 30 in force, 2 pending, 2 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 8 actions (8 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Allen County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: June 10, 2026, Allen County Fiscal Court adoption of Ordinance No. 26-03 (second reading)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-10 (exact)
• Duration: 24 months (2 years)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-allen-county-2026
• Legal basis: Allen County Fiscal Court Ordinance No. 26-03
• What prompted it: Proactive measure; increased statewide data-center development interest and concerns about infrastructure, energy consumption, land use, and environmental sustainability; officials said existing regulations may not adequately address large-scale data facilities
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure ahead of any specific proposal
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; the two-year term runs through June 10, 2028. Cited by multiple neighboring counties (Lyon, Logan) as a model for their own moratoria.
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium on construction, development, and operation of data centers and data storage facilities adopted via Ordinance No. 26-03.

Ashland

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2026-02-26 per a WSAZ headline ("Ordinance passed for data center applications"); this reads as the initial temporary moratorium, later replaced before its natural expiration by a permanent zoning ordinance given first/second readings on 2026-07-23/2026-07-24
• Normalized date: 2026-02-26 (unverified)
• Duration: Reported as roughly 6 months; superseded before expiration by a permanent conditional-use zoning ordinance
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-ashland-2026
• Legal basis: Temporary City Commission moratorium ordinance (Boyd County); ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Rubix Data Centers' proposed roughly 2-gigawatt data center campus near the former Ashland steel mill site prompted the Commission to pause new applications to study zoning ordinances
• Affected projects: Rubix Data Centers' proposed ~2 GW data center campus near the former Ashland steel mill site
• Detailed status: Replaced, confirmed as of 2026-09-23. The Daily Independent's report on the adopted permanent zoning ordinance again describes the prior period as a moratorium ('Throughout the last five-plus months, Ashland was under a moratorium for the construction and operation of data centers') that was replaced by the City Commission's permanent conditional-use zoning restrictions passed on first/second readings 2026-07-23/24. No further reversal, repeal, or litigation affecting this outcome was found in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: Temporary moratorium adopted, then superseded by a permanent conditional-use zoning ordinance

Bell County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: July 2, 2026 (Fiscal Court second-reading vote, moved up from a scheduled July 14 date, per WYMT)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-02 (exact)
• Duration: 2 years (24 months)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-bell-county-2026
• Legal basis: Bell County Fiscal Court moratorium on data center construction; instrument number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Adopted to halt a Murray Industries data center project after land clearing had begun, following resident opposition over water, noise, and road concerns raised at the June 26 first reading.
• Affected projects: Murray Industries data center project (construction/land-clearing halted per WYMT).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. A Kentucky Lantern report (Aug. 4, 2026) found that despite the two-year moratorium, a contractor said Murray Industries owner Dale Murray asked him to continue clearing/site work at the project site; Bell County Attorney Chris Douglas said 'boots on the ground' work for a data center would violate the moratorium and that he had been in contact with the resident who raised the concern and the sheriff's office. Separately, LG&E and KU's July 31, 2026 filing with the Kentucky Public Service Commission described an economic-development project ('the Pineville project,' 360 MW, Bell County's seat) as having an 'imminent' (80%+) likelihood of proceeding, with substation construction underway and a reimbursement agreement executed, though the utility would not confirm to reporters that this is the Murray Industries project. No rescission, extension, or legal challenge to the moratorium itself was found. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: Adopted two-year moratorium on data center construction.

Boone County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance at a Monday meeting; the ordinance's own effective date is June 16, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from the June 16, 2026 effective date
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-boone-county-2026
• Legal basis: Boone County Board of Commissioners ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Significant county growth and change; Boone County's Comprehensive Plan (2009) and Zoning Ordinance (1998) do not contemplate modern data-center development
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure following Area Plan Commission recommendation
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; applies only to new data-center facilities in unincorporated Boone County and does not affect existing facilities or other development types.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted unanimously, pausing filing, processing, review, and acceptance of new data-center applications in unincorporated Boone County while the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance are updated.

Boyd County Fiscal Court

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Passed on second reading by the Boyd County Fiscal Court on July 21, 2026 (per a public notice published in The Daily Independent)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-boyd-county-fiscal-court-2026
• Legal basis: Boyd County Fiscal Court Ordinance 2026-03
• What prompted it: To allow Judge-Executive Eric Chaney, commissioners, and consultants time to study environmental impacts, utility capacity, and economic benefits of data-center development, and to update local policies ahead of further projects
• Affected projects: TeraWulf's 'Muskie Data Campus' at EastPark Industrial Park is explicitly exempted from this moratorium; no other project affected.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; a distinct, county-level instrument from the City of Ashland's separate temporary moratorium/permanent zoning ordinance (both Ashland and this Boyd County Fiscal Court measure sit within Boyd County). Expressly exempts TeraWulf's ~300-acre, ~1 GW 'Muskie Data Campus' at the EastPark Industrial Center (Boyd/Greenup counties), which the county supported at a June 2, 2026 town hall.
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium on new data centers and data-storage facilities adopted unanimously on second reading, excluding the already-underway TeraWulf project.

Boyle County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: June 9, 2026 (Fiscal Court approval of Resolution 2026.06.09)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-09 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-boyle-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026.06.09 (Boyle County Fiscal Court)
• What prompted it: Pause on accepting, reviewing, processing, or approving data center applications and permits in unincorporated Boyle County while the Planning and Zoning Commission studies the issue and considers zoning ordinance updates.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; may be ended early or extended by later Fiscal Court action.
• Outcome: Adopted 12-month moratorium on data center applications/permits in unincorporated Boyle County.

Breckinridge County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-12-05
• Normalized date: 2025-12-05 (exact)
• Duration: 365 days
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-breckinridge-county-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2025-1117A (AI Data Center Moratorium)
• What prompted it: Concerns about AI and data center facility impacts; need for regulatory framework
• Affected projects: Not specified in ordinance text
• Detailed status: Active through approximately December 2026
• Outcome: Pending development of permanent regulations

Bullitt County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: July 21, 2026 (Fiscal Court approval, per Spectrum News 1)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-bullitt-county-2026
• Legal basis: Bullitt County Fiscal Court moratorium ordinance on new data center developments; instrument number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Adopted to allow time to develop data center regulations; officials said no current project had been proposed in the county.
• Affected projects: None identified; officials said no developer had proposed a project.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; allows earlier termination or extension by the Fiscal Court. The Courier Journal's contemporaneous report confirms the ordinance 'pauses new development related to "IT infrastructure facilities," including data centers, in order to allow officials time to review potential impacts and prepare regulations.' No extension, rescission, or replacement was found in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: Adopted 12-month moratorium on new data center developments.

Butler County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: First reading at the Fiscal Court's Monday, June 22, 2026 meeting (5-0), per Beech Tree News; WNKY reports the Fiscal Court 'held the second reading of a proposed data center ordinance' on Monday, July 13, 2026, after which Judge-Executive Flener announced next steps (appointing committee members), indicating final adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-07-13 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: 2027-07-13
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-butler-county-2026
• Legal basis: Butler County Fiscal Court ordinance, introduced by Judge-Executive Tim Flener; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Proactive measure; no data center currently proposed for the county, but officials wanted time to study electric (Warren Rural Electric) and water infrastructure capacity ahead of any proposal
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; first reading approved 5-0 at the June 22, 2026 Fiscal Court meeting, second reading held July 13, 2026 (WNKY), after which the Judge-Executive began appointing an implementation committee; one-year term runs through 2027-07-13.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium on data centers adopted by the Fiscal Court, magistrates voting 5-0 on first reading.

Calloway County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Not yet adopted; a public hearing was held and the Fiscal Court tabled the proposed ordinance at its Sept. 17, 2026 (Wednesday) meeting, to be reconsidered (in revised form) at the Oct. 21, 2026 regular meeting
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: One year, as proposed (establishment, construction, development, or expansion of data centers in unincorporated Calloway County)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-calloway-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Calloway County Fiscal Court ordinance; not yet adopted as of this research date
• What prompted it: Followed the City of Murray's own data-center zoning action; citizen requests for the county (which lacks zoning/planning authority of its own) to adopt a similar restriction, amid concerns about legal liability, economic development impact, and property-tax revenue
• Affected projects: None identified; no data center has been proposed in the county
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23. The Fiscal Court held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance and then voted to table it until the Oct. 21, 2026 meeting, directing County Attorney Bryan Ernstberger to draft a revised version allowing companies to seek a Fiscal Court exception during the moratorium period; a new public hearing will be held on the revised ordinance. Judge-Executive Kenny Imes expressed concern about the long-term impact on economic development; Magistrate Paul Rister favored regulatory 'guardrails' rather than outright prohibition; officials cited litigation risk from Horse Cave/Cave City's contested moratorium as a specific concern. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Proposed one-year moratorium tabled for revision; next Fiscal Court action expected Oct. 21, 2026, after this research date.

Cave City

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-12 City Council rejected a proposed joint-planning-commission zoning ordinance and instead voted to pursue a moratorium; the moratorium was finalized on second reading 2026-05-21 (per WNKY and WCLU Radio)
• Normalized date: 2026-05-21 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-cave-city-2026
• Legal basis: City council moratorium ordinance/order; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Kentucky Industrial Alliance's May 1, 2026 submission of plans for a roughly 600-acre, 1.2 GW AI/cloud data-center campus near Mammoth Cave National Park; the council chose a pause for community input over the proposed joint zoning regulations
• Affected projects: Kentucky Industrial Alliance's proposed 1.2 GW / ~600-acre AI/cloud data center campus near Mammoth Cave National Park
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; still under litigation. At an Aug. 24, 2026 hearing in Barren Circuit Court, the parties agreed to consolidate Kentucky Industrial Alliance's two suits (the moratorium challenge and the annexation challenge) into one matter, with Judge John Alexander to decide the annexation issue first, since (per counsel for Cave City) 'if the property was not appropriately annexed then the moratorium wouldn't apply to that property anyway.' Discovery on the annexation issue is underway, with a status conference set for 2026-11-23 to schedule further briefing. No ruling on either the moratorium's validity or the annexation had been issued as of this research date. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted in lieu of proposed zoning regulations; now facing litigation

City of La Grange

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2025-06-02
• Normalized date: 2025-06-02 (exact)
• Duration: 150 days initially; extension ordinance identified but final term needs confirmation
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-la-grange-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 10, Series 2025; Ordinance No. 17-2025 listed as "An Ordinance Extending Moratorium"
• What prompted it: Increased data center interest in Oldham County; infrastructure, energy, land-use, environmental, and regulatory-gap concerns
• Affected projects: Project Lincoln / OC Data Center area proposals; new applications paused, filed applications exempted
• Detailed status: Ordinance 17-2025 extended the moratorium by 150 days, approved unanimously at the City Council's meeting reported November 10, 2025 (the prior moratorium had expired October 30, 2025 per the ordinance). That places the extension's own computed term at roughly early-to-mid April 2026. The City of La Grange's official ordinance index (lagrangeky.gov/ordinances, checked 2026-07-31 and current through ordinances dated late June 2026) lists 2026 ordinances 01, 02, 05, 07, and 09 through 13 -- covering code-enforcement duties, a zoning map amendment, sign regulations, an annexation, and FY2026-27 budgets -- with no ordinance addressing data centers, a further moratorium extension, or permanent data-center zoning regulations. No City Council action on data centers has been identified since Ordinance 17-2025.
• Outcome: The 150-day extension (Ordinance 17-2025) has run its course (computed term ending roughly April 2026) with no further extension or permanent replacement ordinance appearing in the city's own current ordinance index through late June 2026, indicating the moratorium has lapsed on its own terms.

Daviess County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: First reading held 2026-05-14/15; Fiscal Court gave final approval 2026-05-28 (per WFIE 14 News and owensborotimes.com)
• Normalized date: 2026-05-28 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-daviess-county-2026
• Legal basis: Fiscal Court order; order number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Resident concern and speculation over a possible Owensboro-area data center project
• Affected projects: Speculative/rumored Owensboro-area data center project; no specific developer named in coverage
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (one-year term would run to approximately May 2027); no rescission or extension was located. Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen (in an Sept. 8, 2026 campaign statement) reaffirmed the moratorium is in place 'giving us time to get the rules right before any project moves forward,' while stating he cannot legally impose an outright ban on a business. A Sept. 17, 2026 letter to the editor (Owensboro Times) notes 'more than a quarter of that year has passed, and county officials have not given any feedback on the regulations they are considering,' and flags ETX Upstream LLC's proposed 545-MW gas plant/data-center-enabling infrastructure near U.S. 60 and KY 144 as the emerging local concern driving continued public pressure for regulations; a community Q&A on the topic was scheduled for 2026-09-20. No rescission or extension was located. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: One-year moratorium on data center applications adopted by unanimous (4-0) Fiscal Court vote

Edmonson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: June 8, 2026 (Fiscal Court adoption; ordinance effective immediately upon passage and publication per WNKY reporting and the ordinance text)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-08 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (one year)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ky-edmonson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance EC26-18 (Edmonson County Fiscal Court), an ordinance imposing a temporary moratorium on data centers, AI facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations
• What prompted it: County-wide pause adopted to allow study of infrastructure, public-safety, land-use, environmental, and quality-of-life effects of data centers, AI facilities, and cryptocurrency mining before any such facility could be permitted.
• Affected projects: Not identified in reviewed sources; ordinance is prospective and covers new data centers, AI facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; enacted June 8, 2026 for a one-year term. Bars new permits, licenses, rezonings, approvals, construction, expansion, and operation of covered facilities; existing lawful facilities and ordinary commercial computer use are excluded.
• Outcome: Adopted; in effect through approximately 2027-06-08 absent earlier Fiscal Court action.

Greenup County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07 (Fiscal Court, unanimous, second reading; first reading ~2026-07-07)
• Normalized date: 2026-07 (month_only)
• Duration: Six-month moratorium
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-greenup-county-2026
• Legal basis: Fiscal Court ordinance on data center operation, effective immediately upon second reading
• What prompted it: Broader wave of Kentucky county data-center moratoria; excludes industrial parks.
• Affected projects: TeraWulf's planned 1 GW facility at EastPark Industrial Park is excluded (industrial parks are exempt).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Fiscal Court voted unanimously on first reading (~2026-07-07) and again unanimously on second reading (~2 weeks later) to impose a six-month moratorium on data center construction, development and operation, effective immediately. Excludes incorporated cities and industrial parks.
• Outcome: —

Harrison County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-11 (Fiscal Court, unanimous)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: Two-year moratorium
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-harrison-county-2026
• Legal basis: Fiscal Court resolution barring data center development countywide
• What prompted it: Standing-room-only public forum with near-unanimous resident opposition to data centers preceded the vote.
• Affected projects: None named; magistrates noted no county-owned commercial-zoned property currently qualifies for such development.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The Fiscal Court unanimously approved a resolution creating a two-year moratorium on data center development at its 2026-08-11 meeting. Can be rescinded or extended.
• Outcome: —

Henderson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-10-28 (Fiscal Court, 5-1, Magistrate Tompkins dissenting)
• Normalized date: 2025-10-28 (exact)
• Duration: Two years from passage, or until the Fiscal Court adopts comprehensive WECS regulations, whichever is sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: wind
• Moratorium ID: ky-henderson-county-2025
• Legal basis: Fiscal Court ordinance amendment on wind energy conversion systems (WECS) applications; superseded an original one-year moratorium adopted around July 2025
• What prompted it: Cordelio Energy wind project proposal; planning commission recommended lengthening an original one-year pause to two years after public hearings.
• Affected projects: Cordelio Energy wind project.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The Fiscal Court originally approved a one-year WECS moratorium around July 2025 and referred it to the Henderson City-County Planning Commission; the Commission recommended extending it to two years on 2025-09-02, and the Fiscal Court passed the two-year version 5-1 on 2025-10-28, running two years from passage or until comprehensive WECS regulations are adopted, whichever comes first.
• Outcome: Planning Commission developing WECS siting regulations through public hearings.

Jessamine County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: First reading approved by the Fiscal Court July 22, 2026; the moratorium was scheduled to take effect after a second reading at the Aug. 4, 2026 Fiscal Court meeting
• Normalized date: 2026-08-04 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-jessamine-county-2026
• Legal basis: Jessamine County Fiscal Court ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Judge-Executive David West said the pause allows the county to study risks posed by data-center facilities
• Affected projects: None identified in sources reviewed
• Detailed status: Reported as approved on first reading July 22, 2026 with a second reading/effective date of Aug. 4, 2026; this pass did not locate an independent article confirming the Aug. 4 second reading was actually completed, though no report of its failure or delay was found either. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium on all new data-center development approved by the Fiscal Court.

Lexington-Fayette

• Type: Other
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-09, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council unanimous resolution
• Normalized date: 2026-06-09 (exact)
• Duration: Through October 31, 2026 (approximately 4.5 months from adoption)
• Current end date: 2026-10-31
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-lexington-fayette-2026
• Legal basis: Urban County Council resolution; resolution number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: DartPoints Operating Company's $29 million purchase (closed 2026-05-15) of the former Lexmark property at 745 W. New Circle Road for data center development
• Affected projects: DartPoints' planned data center development of the former Lexmark property, 745 W. New Circle Road
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; the moratorium's stated Oct. 31, 2026 end date has not yet passed. Per the city's own official case page and Spectrum News 1 (Sept. 9, 2026), the Planning Commission's recommendations (from the July 30, 2026 public hearing) went to Council's Aug. 25, 2026 Work Session, where Council scheduled a special Committee of the Whole public-input session for Oct. 6, 2026; a community survey on the draft regulations closes Sept. 25, 2026. Council members are still drafting amendments as of mid-September 2026, with a full-Council vote on new permanent rules expected sometime in October, i.e. around or after the moratorium's Oct. 31 end date; no vote had occurred as of this research date. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: Council-adopted resolution blocking data center development plans, approvals, and zone changes through October 31, 2026 while permanent regulations are drafted

Logan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Made official at the Fiscal Court's Tuesday meeting, reported July 30, 2026 (WBKO); the moratorium was originally proposed July 16, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-07-28 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-logan-county-2026
• Legal basis: Logan County Fiscal Court ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Proactive study of economic, environmental, and water-resource impacts before any data center is proposed; Judge-Executive Phil Baker cited protecting the county's water resources specifically
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; no data center currently proposed for the county per county officials.
• Outcome: 12-month moratorium adopted to allow the county to study data-center impacts before any project is proposed.

London

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Council passed the moratorium 5-1 on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026 (per WKYT, published Aug. 4, 2026); first read at an earlier council meeting
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: Through September 30, 2028; extendable by Council for one additional year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-london-2026
• Legal basis: London City Council ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: To allow the city to study the impact a data center might have on the community
• Affected projects: None identified in sources reviewed
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs through Sept. 30, 2028 per its terms.
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium on data centers within city limits adopted 5-1.

Louisville Metro

• Type: Other
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Metro Council passed the ordinance 24-1 on Aug. 13, 2026; Mayor Craig Greenberg signed it Friday, Aug. 14, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-08-13 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days from adoption, or until Metro Council adopts comprehensive data-center zoning regulations, whichever is earlier; Sept. 15, 2026 reporting describes the pause as running 'until February' 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-louisville-metro-2026
• Legal basis: Louisville Metro Council ordinance, sponsored by Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell (D-15); Council Bill/ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Public pressure following a new 350,000 sq ft data-center proposal (Kramers Lane, submitted days before the vote) near an already-approved hyperscale data center under construction off Camp Ground Road in southwest Louisville; Mayor Greenberg endorsed passage after mounting protests
• Affected projects: A 350,000 sq ft data-center proposal on Kramers Lane (developer Dermody Properties) in southwest Louisville; does not apply to the already-underway hyperscale data center off Camp Ground Road near Shively.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Bars city planners from approving new data-center proposals (including conversions of existing buildings, added by floor amendment) for six months or until Metro Council adopts comprehensive zoning rules. The Metro Council Planning and Zoning Committee began debating the Planning Commission's recommended permanent rules (a 500,000 sq ft size cap, quarter-mile setbacks from schools/community centers/other data centers, closed-loop cooling, rezoning requirements) on Sept. 15, 2026, with a Sept. 3, 2026 5-3 Planning Commission vote recommending the changes to Council; no final Council vote had occurred as of this research date, and Council Member Tammy Hawkins has separately pushed to consider an outright ban.
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium on new data-center approvals adopted 24-1 and signed by the mayor; permanent zoning regulations still under Council committee debate as of the research date.

Lyon County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Fiscal Court ordinance passed unanimously; reported Aug. 20, 2026 (WPSD Local 6/Herald Ledger), exact meeting date not stated in sources reviewed
• Normalized date: 2026-08 (month_only)
• Duration: Sources disagree: County Attorney Lee Wilson initially suggested 'a time period of one year or less'; after adoption, coverage describes the pause as comparable to Allen County's two-year moratorium and as 'delaying inquiries for up to two years.' No outlet reviewed states the ordinance's actual term or an end date.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-lyon-county-2026
• Legal basis: Lyon County Fiscal Court ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Rumored inquiry from a North Carolina data-center developer and lack of county zoning regulations for data centers; officials also cited the Lake Barkley area's possible unsuitability for a data center
• Affected projects: No named project; officials described contact from a prospective developer but no filed application
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per the only reporting located (published Aug. 20-23, 2026); no follow-up on the ordinance's precise term, a committee's formation, or its expiration was found in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Ordinance passed unanimously by the Fiscal Court pausing data-center review to allow environmental, utility, and land-use study via a new committee.

Meade County Fiscal Court

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-01-13
• Normalized date: 2026-01-13 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months / 365 days, unless terminated earlier or extended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-meade-county-fiscal-court-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2025-07
• What prompted it: County zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan did not specifically address data center development; need to review infrastructure, environmental, and land-use compatibility impacts
• Affected projects: Meade County data center / IT infrastructure applications generally; no specific paused project confirmed in captured primary text
• Detailed status: Active; expected to run until 2027-01-13 unless replaced or extended
• Outcome: Planning and Zoning Commission directed to evaluate impacts, zoning districts, performance standards, and text amendments

Mercer County Fiscal Court

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Second and final reading approved unanimously 2026-08-11 (Tuesday regular Fiscal Court meeting), after amending the first draft to strike language about previously filed projects (no hyperscale data center application had been filed in Mercer County)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months upon passage, or until the Fiscal Court adopts permanent data center regulations, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ky-mercer-county-fiscal-court-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Fiscal Court ordinance (first reading approved 2026-07-28; ordinance number not captured)
• What prompted it: Concern over data center siting ahead of permanent regulations from the Joint Planning and Zoning Commission
• Affected projects: Not specified; existing complete applications are expressly exempted
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The Fiscal Court unanimously adopted the moratorium on second reading Aug. 11, 2026; it took effect immediately and runs 12 months, though the Fiscal Court may terminate it earlier by subsequent ordinance (including once the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission's data-center zoning text amendment, approved by the Commission July 30, 2026, is itself adopted by the Fiscal Court). The moratorium applies only to unincorporated Mercer County; it does not reach the small city of Burgin, which has no zoning body of its own and where a competing hyperscale data-center proposal (Panattoni Data Centers, reported at up to 1.3 GW) remains under separate discussion. A Fiscal Court special-called meeting on a related data-center zoning ordinance (Mercer County Ordinance 2026-08, an 'I-T Zone' siting ordinance) was scheduled for 2026-09-28, after this research date, so its outcome is not reflected here.
• Outcome: Adopted: 12-month moratorium on data center construction in unincorporated Mercer County, effective immediately upon Aug. 11, 2026 final passage; does not apply to the City of Burgin.

Montgomery County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: First reading approved by the Fiscal Court at its Aug. 18, 2026 meeting; a second reading/final vote had not been confirmed in sources reviewed as of this research date
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: One year (as proposed on first reading)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-montgomery-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Montgomery County Fiscal Court ordinance; first reading only as of the most recent source located (Aug. 28, 2026)
• What prompted it: Not detailed in the (paywalled) source located beyond general statewide data-center concern
• Affected projects: Not stated in the source located
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23. The Mt. Sterling Advocate reported Aug. 28, 2026 that the Fiscal Court approved first reading of a one-year data-center moratorium at its Aug. 18, 2026 meeting; the article's substance was paywalled and no independent confirmation of a second reading or final adoption was located in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: First reading of a proposed one-year moratorium approved; final adoption status unconfirmed as of the research date.

Nelson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: July 7, 2026 (Fiscal Court unanimous adoption of Resolution 13-2026, effective immediately)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-07 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (immediate)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-nelson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 13-2026 (Nelson County Fiscal Court)
• What prompted it: Immediate pause on accepting, processing, or approving applications for data centers of any size, supporting structures, and data storage facilities, following public comment.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; effective immediately upon adoption for a 12-month term.
• Outcome: Adopted; in effect through approximately 2027-07-07 absent earlier action.

Nicholasville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Commission vote reported Aug. 11, 2026 (WKYT)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-10 (unverified)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-nicholasville-2026
• Legal basis: Nicholasville City Commission ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Resident concern about utility cost, property tax, and water-consumption impacts of data centers in the surrounding farming community
• Affected projects: None identified in sources reviewed
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per the only reporting located; no update found in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium on data centers adopted by the City Commission.

Oldham County Fiscal Court

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-06-26 (per Oldham Era public notice scheduling second reading/public hearing/adoption for that date); signed-ordinance date with vote tally not separately retrieved [VERIFY: signed ordinance copy with vote tally not retrieved as of 2026-04-29]
• Normalized date: 2025-06-26 (unverified)
• Duration: 150 days initially; later extended until data center regulations are approved
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-oldham-county-fiscal-court-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance KOC 25-910-508; extension KOC 25-910-520
• What prompted it: Increased data center siting interest; infrastructure, utility capacity, energy use, land use, and environmental sustainability concerns; zoning rules did not adequately address data centers
• Affected projects: Project Lincoln / OC Data Center proposal near La Grange; reporting describes a withdrawn proposal after intense public pushback
• Detailed status: Still in effect as of 2026-09-23, event-based: the July 21 second reading never occurred as planned. Court Chair Voegele ruled the Fiscal Court's 2026-08-24 special-called meeting void because the court failed to approve its own agenda, so the item restarted. On 2026-09-01 the Fiscal Court reconsidered and unanimously adopted substantive revisions to the draft regulations (still numbered KOC 26-920-5): striking all references to 'large'/'hyperscale' data centers while adding a 10 MW maximum power-capacity cap (effectively banning hyperscale projects), raising the square-footage cap for 'medium' data centers to 110,000 sq ft, and requiring two weeks' advance notice to property owners within 1,000 ft of a proposed site's neighborhood meeting. County Attorney D. Berry Baxter, backed by outside zoning counsel and the Kentucky Association of Counties, concluded KRS 100.211(8)'s 90-day deadline for zoning MAP amendments does not apply to this zoning TEXT amendment, so no statutory deadline forces a vote. The Fiscal Court's public hearing and final (second-reading) vote on KOC 26-920-5 is now calendared for 2026-10-06, after this research date. The moratorium (KOC 25-910-508, extended by KOC 25-910-520 'until data center regulations are approved') has no fixed end date -- it remains the operative instrument until that vote occurs (or another statutory event ends it), consistent with an Aug. 19, 2026 news report confirming the moratorium 'remains in place' pending the Fiscal Court's next action.
• Outcome: After the January 2026 remand, the Planning & Zoning Commission's revised regulations reached the Fiscal Court as KOC 26-920-5, with first reading 2026-06-29 and second reading calendared 2026-07-21. Passage of second reading was not confirmed in public records as of 2026-07-31; the moratorium (KOC 25-910-508, extended by KOC 25-910-520 'until data center regulations are approved') remains the best-supported operative instrument pending that confirmation.

Rowan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Reported by ABC 36 (WTVQ) on Sept. 1, 2026 as 'recently approved'; exact Fiscal Court meeting date not stated in sources reviewed
• Normalized date: 2026-08 (unverified)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-rowan-county-2026
• Legal basis: Rowan County Fiscal Court ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Rowan County has no zoning regulations, giving officials limited ability to review a data-center project before construction begins; adopted proactively before any developer approached the county
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per the only reporting located; county officials plan to use the period to develop a conditional-use-permit process for future large-scale developments. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers approved by the Fiscal Court.

Scott County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: Fiscal Court meeting Friday, March 13, 2026, per Judge-Executive Joe Pat Covington's remarks reported by the Georgetown News-Graphic
• Normalized date: 2026-03-13 (exact)
• Duration: Originally six months (through Sept. 13, 2026); a Sept. 18, 2026 WKYT report describes the freeze as 'set to expire in December' 2026, indicating the Fiscal Court extended it before the original Sept. 13 end date
• Current end date: 2026-12-31
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-scott-county-2026
• Legal basis: Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission / Scott County Fiscal Court moratorium; ordinance/order number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: No developer interest at the time, but officials cited concerns about prime-farmland siting, environmental impacts, electrical grid, water intake/usage, and noise/nuisance
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure
• Detailed status: Extended and active as of 2026-09-23. The moratorium prohibits the Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission's acceptance, processing, and approval of data-center applications. The Georgetown City Council separately passed a resolution (adopted June 22, 2026; publicly announced July 13-14, 2026) supporting the county's moratorium and directing the joint Planning Commission to recommend zoning regulations; it does not appear to be a wholly separate city-level pause. As of Sept. 18, 2026, Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission Director Holden Flemming said the county is drafting a data-center ordinance (heavy-industrial zoning, conditional-use permit, water-supply certification requirements) but that there is 'not likely enough time' to finish before the (extended, December) expiration, and that he expects to ask the Fiscal Court to extend the moratorium further into 2027.
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium adopted in March 2026, later extended (implicitly, through action not fully detailed in sources reviewed) to run through approximately December 2026 while a formal data-center zoning ordinance is drafted.

Shelby County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Introduced by the Fiscal Court in June 2026; second reading scheduled for the Fiscal Court's July 21, 2026 meeting, with the ordinance to take effect upon publication in The Sentinel-News
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: Through December 31, 2026, extendable by the Fiscal Court if more review time is needed
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-shelby-county-2026
• Legal basis: Shelby County Fiscal Court ordinance; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Shelby County's Comprehensive Plan and land-use regulations contain no specific standards for large-scale data centers; concerns cited include public infrastructure, electrical systems, water resources, transportation, emergency services, and general welfare
• Affected projects: None currently proposed; the ordinance exempts Shelby County's four existing data centers (two in Shelbyville, two in Simpsonville, sited under a prior Judge-Executive in 2008)
• Detailed status: Reported as introduced and scheduled for a July 21, 2026 second reading/effective date; this pass did not locate an independent, dated follow-up article confirming the second reading actually occurred, though no report of its failure, defeat, or withdrawal was found either. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Ordinance introduced to impose a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data-center consideration through Dec. 31, 2026 while Planning and Zoning studies infrastructure, water, and zoning impacts.

Versailles

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: June 16, 2026 (City Council adoption of Resolution 2026-8)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-16 (exact)
• Duration: Through December 31, 2026
• Current end date: 2026-12-31
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-versailles-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-8 (Versailles City Council)
• What prompted it: Pause on specified zone-map amendments, development plans, permits, approvals, and authorizations for data centers, to allow review and possible amendment of the city's land-use rules; applications filed before adoption are excluded.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs through December 31, 2026 by its terms. On 2026-09-08 the Woodford County Fiscal Court adopted a permanent, outright ban on data center construction countywide; Versailles Mayor Laura Dake publicly applauded the county's ban, and Judge-Executive James Kay said the county's incorporated cities and the county government 'agreed on identical banning language.' However, the Lexington Herald-Leader's own Sept. 10, 2026 account of that vote describes Versailles's June 2026 action only as 'its own data center moratorium... lasting through Dec. 31' -- the same Resolution 2026-8 already on record here -- and no source located in this pass documents a separate, later Versailles City Council vote adopting its own permanent ban akin to the county's. Absent a primary source (agenda, minutes, or ordinance) for a distinct Versailles enactment, this row is left as an active temporary moratorium through 2026-12-31 rather than reclassified as 'replaced.'
• Outcome: Adopted; moratorium runs through 2026-12-31.

Winchester

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Board of Commissioners unanimous vote at its Tuesday night meeting, Sept. 1, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-09-01 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ky-winchester-2026
• Legal basis: Winchester Board of Commissioners motion/ordinance directing the Planning Commission and staff to review data-center zoning; ordinance number not located in sources reviewed
• What prompted it: Lack of specific zoning rules for data centers and unresolved questions about utility rates, water, and environmental impact; Planning Director Rob Jeffries cited the risk of becoming a magnet for projects turned away by neighboring paused jurisdictions
• Affected projects: None identified; proactive measure
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Applies within Winchester city limits only; the surrounding, unincorporated Clark County is not covered by this action (no Clark County Fiscal Court moratorium was confirmed as adopted in sources reviewed as of this research date).
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted unanimously by roll call (Commissioners Chenault, Strode, Toole), directing the Planning Commission and staff to review zoning ordinances related to data centers.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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