Minnesota local moratoria

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

28 instruments — 26 in force, 2 pending, 0 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 12 actions (12 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Bemidji

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-14, adopted 6-1 by the Bemidji Planning Board, which under Bemidji's practice comprises the full City Council sitting as the city's planning and zoning decision-making body
• Normalized date: 2026-09-14 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption (through approximately 2027-09-14); state law caps local moratoria at one year.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: mn-bemidji-2026
• Legal basis: Interim ordinance adopted 6-1 by the Bemidji Planning Board/City Council on September 14, 2026, following a Planning Commission recommendation in late August 2026, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355.
• What prompted it: Prompted in part by a February 2026 news report that inaccurately listed Bemidji among planned Minnesota data center sites; city staff and council opted to get ahead of the issue and study appropriate size/location standards before any proposal arrives.
• Affected projects: None named; no data center project is currently proposed in Bemidji.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-09-14) on data center development exceeding 10,000 square feet and on cryptocurrency mining facilities of any size within Bemidji city limits; data centers under 10,000 sq ft remain permitted. City staff directed to draft a permanent data center ordinance during the moratorium period.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted 6-1 (Ward 3 council member Mark Dickinson dissenting) prohibiting data centers over 10,000 sq ft and crypto mining facilities of any size, while staff draft permanent zoning standards.

Blue Earth County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-25, Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners vote
• Normalized date: 2026-08-25 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year from adoption.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-blue-earth-county-2026
• Legal basis: Interim Ordinance (Planning Commission docket PC 11-26), adopted by the Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners on August 25, 2026, placing a moratorium on the permitting of data centers for up to one year, under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 394.
• What prompted it: County staff comparative review of data-center ordinances in six other Minnesota jurisdictions (Farmington, Pine Island, Rochester, Duluth, Monticello, St. Louis County), prompted in part by the wave of city/county moratoria in the region, including the adjoining City of Mankato's July 2026 moratorium.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-08-25) on permitting of data centers in unincorporated Blue Earth County while staff evaluate performance standards and a zoning-ordinance amendment.
• Outcome: Blue Earth County Board adopted an interim ordinance (PC 11-26) placing up to a one-year moratorium on data center permitting, following staff review of comparable ordinances in six other Minnesota jurisdictions.

Carlton County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24, unanimous vote of the Carlton County Board of Commissioners
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: One year from the date of enactment, unless earlier terminated by the County Board.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-carlton-county-2026
• Legal basis: Carlton County Interim Ordinance Number 42 (Data Center Interim Use Study), adopted unanimously by the County Board on August 24, 2026 under Minnesota Statutes Sec. 394.34 and Carlton County Zoning Ordinance #27; published September 4, 2026 in the Pine Knot News and Moose Lake Star Gazette.
• What prompted it: Grassroots request from the group 'The Land Stewards' in early June 2026; concerns tied to the county's ongoing comprehensive plan update and a nearby data center proposed in Hermantown (St. Louis County).
• Affected projects: None named; no pending data center application in the county as of adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year pause (through approximately 2027-08-24) on the construction, creation, or expansion of data centers in Carlton County's townships (cities within the county are not affected, per county legal staff); Planning Commission directed to study and report to the County Board, with a progress report due by February 2027.
• Outcome: Interim Ordinance #42 adopted unanimously, pausing data center construction/expansion in county townships for one year while the Planning Commission studies the issue.

Carver

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-06
• Normalized date: 2026-04-06 (exact)
• Duration: One year from effective date unless repealed earlier or replaced by a zoning ordinance amendment
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-carver-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 01-2026; Resolution 116-26 authorized summary publication
• What prompted it: Zoning code did not specifically regulate data centers; city cited rapid AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure growth, uncertain public utility and environmental impacts, and need to study local regulation
• Affected projects: No active Carver proposal identified; city noted possible future annexation areas could accommodate data centers
• Detailed status: Active
• Outcome: Pending staff, consultant, and Planning Commission study with recommendations to the City Council

Chisago County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-05, unanimous (5-0) County Board vote following a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-05 (exact)
• Duration: Reported as a 12-month moratorium; no explicit sunset date was stated in the meeting minutes reviewed.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-chisago-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2026/0805-___ (draft/agenda records leave the final numeric suffix blank pending formal publication; the county's numbering convention for prior ordinances, e.g. Zoning Ordinance No. 2024/1218-1, suggests the published number will follow the pattern '2026/0805-1'), an interim zoning ordinance establishing a moratorium on data centers, adopted unanimously (5-0: Commissioners Swenson, Greene, Dunne, Montzka, Dahlberg) by the Chisago County Board on August 5, 2026, under Minnesota Statutes Section 394.34.
• What prompted it: County staff and Planning Commission review of land-use, zoning, permitting, and utility-capacity impacts of data centers; an audience member had told the North Branch City Council that a company had listed Chisago County as a potential data center location.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Interim moratorium (reported as a 12-month term, through approximately 2027-08-05) pausing acceptance or approval of new land-use permits for data-center development, while county staff and the Planning Commission review zoning, permitting, and infrastructure-capacity questions.
• Outcome: County Board voted unanimously (5-0) to adopt an interim zoning moratorium on data centers after a public hearing.

City of Apple Valley

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-09
• Normalized date: 2026-07-09 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2027-07-09 unless the council ends it sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-city-of-apple-valley-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 1158
• What prompted it: Citywide interim ordinance pausing applications, permits, rezonings, comprehensive plan amendments, conditional use permits, variances, subdivisions, and construction associated with establishing or expanding data centers
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active per primary city document
• Outcome: City Council passed Ordinance 1158, a citywide interim ordinance effective upon passage and publication

City of Elko New Market

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-14 (City Council, 4-0)
• Normalized date: 2026-05-14 (exact)
• Duration: Until new official controls are adopted, or 2027-05-13, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-city-of-elko-new-market-2026
• Legal basis: Interim Ordinance 345 and Summary Ordinance 346, adopted under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4
• What prompted it: Immediate citywide prohibition on the location, establishment, and operation of data centers while the city studies zoning controls
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Interim Ordinance 345 (adopted 2026-05-14, 4-0) remains in force; the May 26, 2026 Planning Commission packet confirms the moratorium was adopted and that city staff are proceeding with the directed study, and no news of extension, repeal, or replacement was found through 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: City Council voted 4-0 to adopt Interim Ordinance 345 and Summary Ordinance 346, immediately prohibiting data centers citywide

Eagan

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-02-17
• Normalized date: 2026-02-17 (exact)
• Duration: One year; expires 2027-02-17 unless ended sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: mn-eagan-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 643, 2nd Series, adding Eagan City Code Section 12.09, "Interim Use: Data Center Regulations Study," under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4. Public hearing and adoption both occurred February 17, 2026; published in the legal newspaper February 19, 2026.
• What prompted it: City study of whether large data centers need additional local regulation because of land use compatibility, municipal water and wastewater systems, infrastructure, environmental, and public health, safety, and welfare impacts
• Affected projects: Applies to data centers or cryptocurrency mining facilities using more than 20 MW or proposed within 500 feet of residentially zoned or guided property; allows improvements to existing or approved data centers only if they do not allow use above 9 MW
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; in effect through February 17, 2027 unless ended sooner. The City is defending a lawsuit filed in Dakota County District Court by Eagan Capital (owner/operator of an existing Eagan data center) around late June/early July 2026, after the City denied Eagan Capital a temporary use permit in May 2026; Eagan Capital seeks to void the moratorium. No ruling had been reported as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: Pending study and possible permanent regulations

Elk River

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03, unanimous City Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption, but may be rescinded earlier by the Council at any time.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-elk-river-2026
• Legal basis: Interim ordinance adopted unanimously by the Elk River City Council on August 3, 2026, following a July 6, 2026 unanimous denial of a zoning text amendment that would have allowed data centers as a conditional use in Light Industrial districts; under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355.
• What prompted it: A specific data center proposal (zoning amendment and conditional use permit application) drew intense public opposition; the applicant withdrew its applications on July 10, 2026 after the Council's July 6, 2026 denial of the zoning amendment, and the Council then directed staff to prepare the moratorium.
• Affected projects: A previously proposed Elk River data center project (subject of the applicant's withdrawn zoning-amendment and conditional-use-permit applications, withdrawn July 10, 2026); no application is affected going forward since it was withdrawn before the moratorium's adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-08-03) prohibiting all data center development applications (land use applications, rezonings, and similar proposals) while staff, the Planning Commission, and Council develop a data center ordinance.
• Outcome: Unanimous one-year moratorium adopted August 3, 2026, after the Council denied a zoning amendment for a specific data center proposal and the applicant withdrew its applications.

Freeborn County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: August 2025 (exact date not located in this pass); temporary interim zoning ordinance covering data centers and, in a parallel ordinance, energy storage systems
• Normalized date: 2025-08-19 (exact)
• Duration: Originally a one-year interim ordinance (adopted August 2025); extended for a second consecutive one-year term, through August 19, 2027, by a unanimous County Board vote on August 18, 2026.
• Current end date: 2027-08-19
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: mn-freeborn-county-2025
• Legal basis: Temporary interim zoning ordinance on data centers, adopted by the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners in August 2025 (alongside a parallel moratorium on energy storage systems, due to overlapping grid-infrastructure concerns); extended for a second year (through Aug. 19, 2027) by unanimous County Board resolution on August 18, 2026, under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 394.
• What prompted it: Regional energy grid infrastructure, high-voltage utility demand, and public safety concerns common to both data centers and battery energy storage systems; staff reported needing the full extended year to finish the data center ordinance after spending the prior year on the energy-storage-system framework.
• Affected projects: None named; discussion referenced 8-15 existing Minnesota data centers and 15-20 in planning stages statewide, without naming a specific Freeborn County project.
• Detailed status: Active (extended) as of 2026-09-23. The County Board voted unanimously on August 18, 2026 to extend the moratorium on data centers (originally adopted August 2025) for a second consecutive year, through August 19, 2027, finding that allowing it to lapse would threaten public safety and orderly development because current regulations are inadequate. Planning and Zoning Administrator Trevor Bordelon said his office would need the full additional year to develop the data-center ordinance, having spent the prior year on a parallel energy-storage-system framework intended to serve as a foundation for high-load utility planning generally.
• Outcome: County Board voted unanimously to extend the county's one-year-old data center moratorium for a second year (through Aug. 19, 2027) as staff continue developing land-use controls.

Hastings

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-17, unanimous City Council vote following a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year; city staff indicated they may not need the full year.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-hastings-2026
• Legal basis: Interim ordinance adopted unanimously by the Hastings City Council on August 17, 2026, following a public hearing, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355; recommended 4-0 by the Planning Commission in July 2026.
• What prompted it: Proactive/preemptive: the city had received no data center applications, but Community Development Director John Hinzman noted Hastings' zoning code does not define or address data centers, and officials wanted regulations in place before any application arrived; residents also raised water and PFAS-related concerns.
• Affected projects: None; no data center application pending or known to the city as of adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-08-17, though city staff indicated they may finish sooner) on accepting, reviewing, or issuing permits for data centers, while staff research and draft permanent regulations.
• Outcome: Interim ordinance adopted unanimously without opposition after a public hearing at which only one resident spoke.

Inver Grove Heights

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Ordinance No. 1527 followed three readings: the City Council 'initiated consideration' of the moratorium May 11, 2026 (first reading), held a second reading June 8, 2026, and adopted the ordinance on third/final reading by a 3-2 vote on June 26, 2026 (a meeting that began June 22 and was recessed to June 26 at 8 a.m.). The May 11, 2026 date some aggregators report is the first-reading/initiation date, not final adoption.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-26 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: 2027-06-26
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-inver-grove-heights-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 1527, an Interim Ordinance Authorizing a Study and Imposing a Moratorium on Data Centers, adopted by the Inver Grove Heights City Council on 2026-06-26 (3-2) following three readings, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4. Amended by Ordinance No. 1532, adopted 2026-09-14 (3-1), which excludes a single previously submitted Major Site Plan application (the QLevr LLC Carmen Avenue East data center) from the moratorium's application requirements; all other terms of Ordinance No. 1527 remain unchanged.
• What prompted it: Litigation threat from a data center developer and community opposition; a June 23 meeting reportedly ended in shouting before a scheduled vote
• Affected projects: QLevr LLC's proposed data center (reported as 54,000-55,000 square feet) at 5842 Carmen Avenue East, on the former Travel Tags, Inc. site; anticipated power usage approximately 5 MW/day. This is the specific project the moratorium was adopted alongside in June 2026 and later exempted from it by Ordinance No. 1532 (2026-09-14) after QLevr's lawsuit.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 for all data center proposals except one: on 2026-09-14, the Council voted 3-1 (Ordinance No. 1532) to exempt QLevr LLC's proposed 55,000-square-foot data center at 5842 Carmen Avenue East from the moratorium, after QLevr sued the City in Dakota County District Court in July 2026 (alleging up to $150 million in damages) and the City's outside counsel estimated the City's litigation exposure at roughly $20 million against a $1 million insurance cap. The one-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-06-26) remains in force for all other data center proposals in the city; the QLevr major site plan was scheduled for a Council vote on 2026-09-28.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium (Ordinance No. 1527) adopted 2026-06-26 on a 3-2 vote following three readings; amended by Ordinance No. 1532 (2026-09-14, 3-1) to exempt the QLevr LLC Carmen Avenue East data center project from the moratorium after litigation, while the moratorium remains in force for all other data center proposals through approximately 2027-06-26.

Le Sueur County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-26 (County Board adoption); effective 2026-06-04
• Normalized date: 2026-05-26 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-le-sueur-county-2026
• Legal basis: 12-month interim ordinance adopted under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4 (specific ordinance number not stated in sources reviewed)
• What prompted it: County study of energy, water, noise, heat, air emissions, wastewater and stormwater, emergency response, siting, taxation, and infrastructure impacts of data centers
• Affected projects: County officials reported no data center proposal was then pending
• Detailed status: Active per primary county agenda item and official notice
• Outcome: County Board adopted a 12-month interim ordinance barring establishment, construction, permitting, or acceptance and processing of land-use applications for data centers in unincorporated areas; became effective 2026-06-04

Lonsdale

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Approximately 2026-04-30 (a Thursday city council meeting, described as eight days after an April 22, 2026 Capitol rally calling for a statewide moratorium)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-30 (range)
• Duration: One year.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-lonsdale-2026
• Legal basis: Interim Ordinance No. 2026-342, restricting the location, establishment, or construction of data centers, adopted 5-0 by the Lonsdale City Council on April 30, 2026 (motion by James Vosejpka, seconded by Brian Wermerskirchen) on the recommendation of City Attorney/Community Development Planner Cory Hinz-Ibarra, for a one-year term, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355; no public hearing was required
• What prompted it: Concerns over water and energy usage and business practices such as requests that city officials sign nondisclosure agreements; council wanted more information before considering any long-term approach (permanent ban vs. regulation).
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; the April 30, 2026 adoption date is now confirmed (Interim Ordinance 2026-342, 5-0 vote), so the one-year term runs through approximately 2027-04-30. Restricts the location, establishment, or construction of data centers within Lonsdale for one year while the city gathers state-level studies and other information.
• Outcome: One-year interim ordinance passed restricting data center location, establishment, or construction, on the city attorney's recommendation, without a public hearing (though the mayor opened the floor for comment; no one spoke).

Mankato

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-13
• Normalized date: 2026-07-13 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-mankato-2026
• Legal basis: Interim ordinance authorizing a study and imposing a moratorium on data centers and 'high impact utility consumers,' adopted by the Mankato City Council under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4; final ordinance number not confirmed in this pass
• What prompted it: City found its Zoning Ordinance (City Code ch. 10) imposes no express rules on data centers or other large-scale, disproportionately utility-intensive uses
• Affected projects: Not specified
• Detailed status: Active as of adoption (2026-07-13), post-dating this dataset's 2026-04-28 coverage cutoff
• Outcome: City staff and Planning Commission to study data centers and high-impact utility consumers and recommend zoning amendments

Minneapolis

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Council gave initial approval 8-5 on 2026-05-22 and final approval on 2026-06-25, following a public hearing on 2026-06-16.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-25 (exact)
• Duration: Approximately six-month interim ordinance: restrictions run 'from the date of introduction of this ordinance on May 21, 2026, through and including November 21, 2026, or upon completion of the study and adoption or amendment of the official controls..., whichever occurs first' (Minneapolis Code Sec. 597.40(b)); the department of community planning and economic development must present a progress report to Council within six months (i.e., by approximately late November 2026).
• Current end date: 2026-11-21
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-minneapolis-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2026-016, adding Chapter 597 to Title 21 (Interim Ordinances) of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances ('Providing for a Moratorium on the Establishment, Re-establishment, or Expansion of Data Centers'), adopted June 25, 2026 under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4 and Chapter 529, Article VII of the zoning code; originating from Legislative File 2026-00446; Council gave initial (8-5) approval May 22, 2026 following a June 16, 2026 public hearing.
• What prompted it: Council debate over land use, fiscal, and infrastructure implications of data center uses
• Affected projects: No specific affected project identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Ordinance No. 2026-016 (Minneapolis Code Sec. 597.40) runs through November 21, 2026 (or earlier, upon completion of the city's study and adoption of permanent regulations). The related permanent zoning-code amendment process is ongoing: a City Planning Commission public hearing is tentatively scheduled for October 13, 2026, a City Council Business, Housing & Zoning Committee hearing for November 5, 2026, and a full Council vote for November 12, 2026, all ahead of the moratorium's November 21, 2026 end date.
• Outcome: The ordinance was adopted: Council voted 8-5 on 2026-05-22 and gave final approval 2026-06-25 after a 2026-06-16 public hearing. Council members Whiting, Chughtai, Stevenson, Osman, Payne, Wonsley, Chavez, and Chowdhury voted in favor; Shaffer, Palmisano, Rainville, Vetaw, and Warren voted against.

Minnetrista

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03, City Council vote (Council Member Reffkin absent)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-minnetrista-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 509, Authorizing a Study and Imposing a Moratorium on Data Centers, adopted 3-1 by the Minnetrista City Council on August 3, 2026 (Council Member Cathleen Reffkin absent), under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4.
• What prompted it: Preemptive: the city had received no data center applications but wanted to get ahead of the issue as proposals emerged elsewhere in the metro area; the city currently has no ordinances governing data centers.
• Affected projects: None named; no data center application pending as of adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-08-03) on the establishment, construction, relocation, and expansion of data centers while the city studies whether comprehensive plan, zoning, or other official-control amendments are needed. Council Member Brian Govern voted against the moratorium (while supporting the study), arguing data centers could be an opportunity for the city.
• Outcome: Ordinance No. 509 adopted 3-1, authorizing a study and imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers.

North Branch

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07 (Chisago County Press, 2026-07-31, reporting the council's prior-week meeting: 'Council reviewed and adopted 5-0 a high utility user application moratorium'; exact meeting day not stated)
• Normalized date: 2026-07 (month_only)
• Duration: Six months from adoption (late July 2026), so to about late January 2027; staff to study impacts and recommend code changes in the interim.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, general
• Moratorium ID: mn-north-branch-undated
• Legal basis: City Council action adopting a 'high utility user' application moratorium (5-0); resolution number not reported. Covers sites using 50,000+ gallons of water per day or 25-50 MW: data centers, AI facilities, hydrogen production, cryptocurrency mining.
• What prompted it: Preemptive: no known active data center proposal, but an audience member reported a company had listed Chisago County (which includes North Branch) as a potential data center location; council wants to update zoning (data centers currently allowed in B-Business districts) before any proposal arrives.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Adopted 5-0 in late July 2026 as a six-month moratorium on 'high utility user' applications (data centers, AI facilities, hydrogen production, crypto mining; 50,000+ gal/day or 25-50 MW). [VERIFY instrument number and exact adoption date; primary source not yet located]
• Outcome: Under discussion/planned as of the article reviewed; not confirmed adopted.

North Mankato

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-21, City Council vote continuing a public hearing first opened and tabled August 3, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-09-21 (exact)
• Duration: Up to twelve months, with the option to renew the moratorium for an additional year.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-north-mankato-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 199-2, an interim ordinance authorizing a study and imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers, adopted by the North Mankato City Council on September 21, 2026, continuing a public hearing first opened (and tabled for further language review) on August 3, 2026, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355.
• What prompted it: Followed the neighboring City of Mankato's July 13, 2026 data-center moratorium; council spent over a month refining size, water-use, and environmental-review thresholds before adoption.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-09-21) pausing new data centers from being considered or constructed, with an option to renew for a second year, while the council studies localized impacts and other communities' regulations.
• Outcome: Ordinance 199-2 adopted with overwhelming support at a continued public hearing, after being tabled in August 2026 for further refinement of size/water-use thresholds.

Otsego

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Adopted by the Otsego City Council on July 27, 2026, by a 5-0 vote (Ordinance 2026-11), following a public hearing the same night and a 7-0 Planning Commission recommendation on July 6, 2026.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-27 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year from adoption (through 2027-07-27); the moratorium will be lifted earlier if the city completes its data center study and adopts new zoning regulations first. The city has a one-time option to extend the moratorium up to an additional six months if needed (per City Planner Dan Licht and hometownsource.com reporting).
• Current end date: 2027-07-27
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-otsego-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-11, an interim ordinance imposing a moratorium and authorizing a study of official controls for data centers, adopted 5-0 by the Otsego City Council on July 27, 2026 under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4; recommended 7-0 by the Planning Commission at its July 6, 2026 special meeting.
• What prompted it: City has not received any data center site-plan applications but sought to study the use pre-emptively; Planning Commission found the existing Zoning Ordinance (which permits data centers in the B-4, I-1, and I-2 districts) may be inadequate given the changing nature of such uses
• Affected projects: None; the City has not received any data center site-plan application as of the July 27, 2026 adoption, per City Planner Dan Licht.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Ordinance 2026-11 was adopted 5-0 by the City Council on July 27, 2026 following a public hearing; it runs up to one year (through approximately 2027-07-27) or until the city's data center study is complete and new zoning regulations are adopted, whichever occurs first.
• Outcome: Adopted: the Otsego City Council voted 5-0 on July 27, 2026 to adopt Ordinance 2026-11, imposing a one-year moratorium on data center land uses and directing staff to study official controls and impacts (water, noise, setbacks, lighting, safety) before drafting permanent zoning regulations.

Pine County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-07 (Board adopted a 6-month interim moratorium); extended to 12 months on 2026-08-18 (Ordinance 2026-15)
• Normalized date: 2026-07 (month_only)
• Duration: 6-month interim moratorium extended to 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-pine-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-15, interim moratorium on data center development, applying countywide to townships and cities that have opted into county zoning
• What prompted it: Zoning board to study siting, setbacks, and regulation; an earlier version failed for lack of a second on 2026-04-07.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Board adopted a six-month interim moratorium in July 2026 (an earlier version had failed 2026-04-07 for lack of a second); extended to 12 months at an 2026-08-18 public hearing under Ordinance 2026-15, running through roughly 2027-08-18 unless repealed or superseded by new zoning. Applies to townships and cities that have opted into county zoning; other cities are not covered.
• Outcome: Zoning board studying data center regulations, possibly via a working group.

Plymouth

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-08, unanimous City Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-09-08 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-plymouth-2026
• Legal basis: Interim ordinance prohibiting the location, establishment, or operation of data centers larger than 50,000 square feet, adopted unanimously by the Plymouth City Council on September 8, 2026, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, following an August 2026 work session directing staff to draft the ordinance.
• What prompted it: General regulatory gap (Plymouth's zoning code does not limit review of data center proposals) combined with council learning, the week before the vote, that a 'significant' data center developer had expressed interest in a Plymouth site.
• Affected projects: An unnamed 'significant' data center developer that had contacted the city the week before the September 8, 2026 vote, per Community & Economic Development Director Grant Fernelius.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. One-year moratorium (through approximately 2027-09-08) on new data centers larger than 50,000 square feet; does not affect the city's single existing data center (in operation since 1991, converted from a telephone operating business) regardless of its size.
• Outcome: Interim ordinance adopted unanimously, with the size threshold reduced during the meeting from a staff-recommended 75,000 sq ft to 50,000 sq ft.

Rice

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: As proposed: one year, or earlier upon amending the zoning ordinance regarding data centers or a council resolution ending the moratorium.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-rice-undated
• Legal basis: A proposed interim ordinance was scheduled for a City Council vote on September 21, 2026, to prohibit the establishment, construction, or expansion of data centers within the city for one year and to authorize a Planning Commission study, under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355; the outcome of that vote was not confirmed in sources located as of 2026-09-23.
• What prompted it: Regional/statewide wave of data center moratoria and concerns raised via a Change.org petition ('Stop the construction of data centers in Rice County, Minnesota').
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Pending/unconfirmed as of 2026-09-23. The City of Rice's council was scheduled to vote on September 21, 2026 on an interim ordinance and data-center study; no post-vote news report confirming adoption (or rejection/tabling) was located in this pass. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Vote scheduled for 2026-09-21; outcome not confirmed in sources located in this pass.

Rosemount

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-04-21
• Normalized date: 2026-04-21 (exact)
• Duration: One year from effective date, unless repealed earlier or terminated by adoption of a permanent zoning amendment addressing data centers
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-rosemount-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2026-03, 'An Interim Ordinance Authorizing a Study and Imposing a Moratorium on Data Centers,' adopted by the Rosemount City Council April 21, 2026 under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355, subd. 4
• What prompted it: City determined its Zoning Ordinance (Title 11) does not impose express rules or standards specific to data centers, amid a statewide increase in developer interest in Minnesota data center sites
• Affected projects: Not specified in the ordinance itself; news coverage (South Metro Scoop) references resident concern about a possible second Meta data center facility
• Detailed status: Active; one-year term runs to approximately April 21, 2027
• Outcome: City staff, consultants, and Planning Commission directed to study data centers and recommend possible zoning amendments

St. Joseph

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-15 (City Council, Ordinance 2026-004)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: One-year moratorium
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-st-joseph-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-004, interim ordinance authorizing a study and declaring a moratorium on data center development (Minn. Stat. 462.355)
• What prompted it: City's industrial park sits in a wetland area; no zoning framework for data centers; council wants to research approaches from other communities.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. City Council approved Ordinance 2026-004 following a public hearing on 2026-06-15, pausing all data center land use applications for up to one year, through 2027-06-15, while staff/Planning Commission/Council study data center development and develop a regulatory framework.
• Outcome: —

Waite Park

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Adopted unanimously by the Waite Park City Council on 2026-05-04 (reported 2026-05-05).
• Normalized date: 2026-05-04 (exact)
• Duration: One-year (12-month) moratorium on data center development, adopted unanimously by City Council on 2026-05-04; exempts construction of small (300-square-foot) telecommunications shelters with fiber-optic equipment that do not require water to operate.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-waite-park-undated
• Legal basis: City of Waite Park Ordinance No. 2026-02 (per the title block of the official May 4, 2026 City Council agenda packet containing the draft/summary ordinance; the ordinance and summary-publication documents in that packet left the numeric suffix blank pending formal adoption and newspaper publication), an interim ordinance placing a moratorium on the issuance of permits for potential data center uses within the I-1 Light Industrial, I-2 Sundial Corridor, and I-3 28th Avenue Corridor Districts, adopted by the City Council on May 4, 2026 under Minn. Stat. Sec. 462.355; exempts a small (under 300 sq ft) unoccupied fiber-optic telecommunications shelter.
• What prompted it: Staff reportedly found that the city had no ordinances governing data centers and their resource demands
• Affected projects: No specific affected project identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-05-04/05-05 per KNSI reporting; city intends to use the study period to research data center regulation in nearby communities and draft new rules addressing water usage and noise emissions, the two concerns staff identified as most significant.
• Outcome: The city council moved from work-session discussion (March 2026) to a public hearing (2026-05-04 evening session per KNSI's same-day coverage) to unanimous adoption of a one-year moratorium, reported 2026-05-05.

Woodbury

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: As proposed: one year from adoption and publication, or sooner if repealed or superseded by new regulations expressly addressing the covered uses.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-woodbury-undated
• Legal basis: A draft interim ordinance was scheduled for City Council consideration at its September 23, 2026 meeting (the date of this research pass), to pause new data centers and expansions, plus other top water/sewer users, for up to one year, under Minnesota Statutes Section 462.355; as of the article reviewed (published before the meeting), the ordinance remained in draft form and had not yet been voted on.
• What prompted it: Preemptive: Woodbury's zoning rules do not specifically address data centers or other large infrastructure users; the city already hosts two existing IronGate colocation data centers (Twin Cities East and Twin Cities West) but had no pending new-development application.
• Affected projects: None named; the city already has two existing data centers (IronGate Twin Cities East and Twin Cities West), which would not be affected by a forward-looking pause on new/expanded facilities.
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23 (the scheduled vote date itself); the City Council was scheduled to consider the proposed interim ordinance at its September 23, 2026 meeting, but the outcome of that meeting was not available in sources located during this research pass (which was conducted on the same date). [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Proposed; scheduled for a City Council vote on September 23, 2026 (the date of this research pass), with no outcome confirmed in sources reviewed.

Wright County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-19
• Normalized date: 2026-05-19 (exact)
• Duration: One year from the effective date, unless earlier terminated by the County Board
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: mn-wright-county-2026
• Legal basis: Interim Ordinance No. 26-2, 'Resolution Adopting an Interim Zoning Ordinance Instituting an Emergency Moratorium on Data Centers,' adopted by the Wright County Board of Commissioners May 19, 2026 under Minn. Stat. Sec. 394.34; recorded with the Wright County Recorder May 20, 2026 as Document #A1603075
• What prompted it: County Office of Planning and Zoning began receiving data center development inquiries and permit pressure; County Zoning Ordinance does not expressly regulate data centers
• Affected projects: Not specified in the ordinance
• Detailed status: Active; one-year term runs to approximately May 19, 2027
• Outcome: County staff and Planning Commission directed to study data centers and propose amendments to the County's official controls

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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