Tennessee local moratoria

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

45 instruments — 37 in force, 6 pending, 2 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 9 actions (9 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Anderson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-15, County Commission unanimous approval following a public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: tn-anderson-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission moratorium on future data centers; the adopted instrument was not located in the county's online materials
• What prompted it: Hearing on proposed data center, cryptocurrency, and battery-storage zoning safeguards
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; two-year moratorium on data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, and large battery storage facilities adopted by motion (McNabb/Allen) at the 2026-06-15 commission meeting in place of the Planning Commission's zoning amendments (Resolutions 26-06-1257, 26-06-1258, 26-06-1259), which did not pass. [VERIFY instrument number not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Blount County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: Blount County Planning Commission voted 9-0 at its July 2026 meeting to recommend a 12-month moratorium; the County Commission must adopt a resolution for it to take effect
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: 12 months (recommended)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-blount-county-undated
• Legal basis: Planning Commission recommendation (motion Nick Bright/Wright, second Jessica Hannah) for a 12-month moratorium on Development Services accepting plans for AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining, or blockchain computing centers
• What prompted it: Time to draft zoning amendments after the County Commission's June 18 resolution requesting restrictive data center rules; a 5,000-foot buffer would leave no eligible sites
• Affected projects: None; no permit requests received
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; Planning Commission recommendation forwarded to the County Commission; adoption not found. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Bristol

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Second and final reading of Ordinance 25-20 was adopted by the Bristol City Council on October 7, 2025, per the Council's own meeting agenda; first reading passed unanimously September 9, 2025. The ordinance's effective date, per the Planning Commission staff memo dated 2026-03-19, is October 24, 2025 (17 days after adoption, consistent with standard publication timing).
• Normalized date: 2025-10-24 (unverified)
• Duration: Two years; expires 2027-10-24 unless extended or replaced
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-bristol-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance 25-20, imposing a temporary moratorium on establishment of data centers
• What prompted it: City planning records state Bristol's zoning ordinance was not equipped to handle data centers, including bitcoin mining and broader data mining; officials cited TVA, utility, water, wastewater, and siting questions.
• Affected projects: Establishment of new data centers within Bristol. The signed Ordinance 25-20 was not directly attached to either the February or March 2026 Planning Commission packets; Planning Commission discussion summaries describe a flat moratorium with no project-specific carve-outs but do not list any "exempt applications already filed" language [VERIFY exact exemptions from signed Ordinance 25-20 PDF, not currently posted to bristoltn.gov agenda center or document center search]
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Ordinance 25-20 (two years, through 2027-10-24) is still described as in force by Tennessee Lookout (2026-07-30); no amending or replacing ordinance was found in coverage through September 2026.
• Outcome: Planning Commission directed a drafting committee with City Council, BTES, water department, and planning staff representation to prepare a data center ordinance by 2026-07-01 for Planning Commission review and City Council approval.

Carter County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-17, Carter County Commission August meeting, motion by Commissioner Keith Range, seconded by Angie Manning, passed 20-1
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-carter-county-2026
• Legal basis: Carter County Commission motion/resolution imposing a one-year moratorium on AI data centers and cryptocurrency mining centers (instrument number not published)
• What prompted it: Residents urged a pause to study environmental and community impacts; county tourism and outdoor resources cited; a planned public hearing on data center regulations was pulled back to the Planning Commission
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium on AI data centers and crypto mining adopted 2026-08-17 while the Planning Commission revisits data center regulations.
• Outcome: One-year moratorium adopted 20-1

Cedar Hill

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-01 (WSMV: 'Cedar Hill imposes two-year moratorium on data centers'), confirmed 2026-06-03 by News Channel 5 Nashville
• Normalized date: 2026-06-01 (exact)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-cedar-hill-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution of the Cedar Hill City Commission adopted 2026-06-01 imposing a two-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities within city limits (instrument number not published)
• What prompted it: Rural preservation concerns amid data center and cryptocurrency mining development pressure in Robertson County
• Affected projects: Not specifically named in sources reviewed
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: Two-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining adopted

Charleston

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-08, Charleston City Commission unanimous approval on second reading (motion Vice Mayor Faye Callaway, second Matt Wiley), on recommendation of the Charleston Municipal Planning Commission
• Normalized date: 2026-09-08 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from passage
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-charleston-2026
• Legal basis: City of Charleston interim zoning ordinance suspending zoning and rezoning requests, site plans, development plans, building permits, and other land use approvals for data centers for 12 months (number not published)
• What prompted it: Proposed power station and possible data center near Charleston in unincorporated Bradley County; no city data center regulations
• Affected projects: Possible data center on Wright Brothers Construction land off Lower River Road (outside city limits; being presented to Cleveland for annexation)
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium adopted on second reading 2026-09-08 while the Municipal Planning Commission drafts zoning standards. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Ordinance adopted unanimously on second reading

Clinton

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-22, City Council unanimous approval
• Normalized date: 2026-06-22 (exact)
• Duration: 6 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-clinton-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium on new data centers within city limits; adopted instrument text not located online
• What prompted it: While staff and the Planning Commission develop zoning definitions and regulations
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; six-month moratorium approved unanimously 2026-06-22 (motion Maness, second Gann), running to about 2026-12-22, while staff and the Planning Commission draft data center definitions. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Cocke County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-15, Cocke County Legislative Body, agenda amended to adopt the Planning Commission-recommended moratorium resolution presented by the county attorney (roll call; eight of 14 commissioners present)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: One year, through June 30, 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-cocke-county-2026
• Legal basis: Cocke County Legislative Body resolution imposing a moratorium on "data center facilities", defined to include data processing, data mining, cryptocurrency mining, and lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (number not published)
• What prompted it: Fire risk of large lithium battery storage sites; noise; power and water demand; few jobs
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium through 2027-06-30 while the Planning Commission drafts ordinance amendments.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted; replaced a narrower battery-storage-only proposal from the public safety committee

Coffee County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-09, County Legislative Body adoption of Resolution 2026-12, 13-0 with five members absent
• Normalized date: 2026-06-09 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-coffee-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-12
• What prompted it: Followed a May 26 Planning Commission 7-0 motion urging a one-year pause after Mayor Hunt had discussed a 180-day pause
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of; a related public hearing on permanent zoning amendments (Resolution 2006-39) was pending as of July 14
• Outcome: —

Crossville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Third and final reading of Ordinance 26-0286 adopted 2026-08-11 on the Crossville City Council consent agenda (first reading 2026-07-14; second reading approved at the late-July meeting).
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: 24 months from adoption (through about 2028-08-11)
• Current end date: 2028-08-11
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-crossville-undated
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-0286, adding Title 14, Chapter 12 to the Crossville Municipal Code: a 24-month temporary moratorium on new data centers and high-density computing facilities (existing lawfully operating facilities and vested applications exempt)
• What prompted it: Residents commented on environmental, infrastructure, noise, and water-supply concerns
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Ordinance 26-0286 adopted on third and final reading 2026-08-11, imposing a 24-month moratorium (through about 2028-08-11) on new conditional use permits, site plans, and building approvals for data centers, server farms, and cryptocurrency mining facilities.
• Outcome: —

Cumberland County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-15, County Commission unanimous adoption of Resolution 06-2026-31, after first adopting companion Resolution 06-2026-30 invoking County Powers Act authority
• Normalized date: 2026-06-15 (exact)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-cumberland-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 06-2026-31 (County Powers Act authority established by companion Resolution 06-2026-30)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

Dickson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, Dickson County Commission regular meeting (Commissioner Rusty Grove absent); item added to the agenda at the work session (motion Danny Williams, second Cindi Gray)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-dickson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Dickson County Commission six-month moratorium on data centers (instrument number not published)
• What prompted it: Time to study impacts and develop zoning; rural character, water and wastewater concerns
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; six-month moratorium adopted 2026-07-20. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Six-month moratorium adopted

Gallatin

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: passed first reading 2026-09-15 after being shortened from 12 to six months (Mayor Paige Brown broke the tie on the amendment); second reading scheduled for the next council meeting. Planning Commission recommended a 12-month moratorium 2026-08-24.
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Six months (as amended on first reading)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-gallatin-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Gallatin ordinance enacting a moratorium on accepting new applications for data center development (first reading only); projects already approved exempt
• What prompted it: Few regulations on data centers; noise and utility impact concerns near the existing Meta campus
• Affected projects: New data center applications; existing approvals (including Meta) exempt unless adding space
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; passed first reading 2026-09-15; second reading pending. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Grundy County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-18, County Commission unanimous adoption of the "Data Mining Moratorium"
• Normalized date: 2026-05-18 (exact)
• Duration: Two years (May 18, 2026 through May 18, 2028)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-grundy-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution adopted by the County Commission ("Data Mining Moratorium"); the original signed resolution was not located on a county website
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; NewsChannel 9 (2026-07-16) lists Grundy County among local governments with a pause in place. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Hamblen County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: Hamblen County Regional Planning Commission voted 2026-07-06 for a one-year moratorium ordinance; the ordinance takes effect only on adoption by the County Commission, which was not confirmed
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: One year (per county announcement); ordinance text states no term
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-hamblen-county-undated
• Legal basis: Draft ordinance "Hamblen County Interim Moratorium on High-Intensity Electrical Load Facilities Ordinance" (5 MW threshold; data centers, crypto mining, HPC, ancillary battery systems; industrial property in the First Civil District excepted), under T.C.A. 13-7-101
• What prompted it: Electrical, water, noise, emissions, fire-safety, and land-use compatibility impacts of high-intensity computing
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; recommended by the Planning Commission 2026-07-06; County Commission adoption not found. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Jefferson County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: July 27, 2023 (Resolution 2023-40)
• Normalized date: 2023-07-27 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: tn-jefferson-county-2023
• Legal basis: Resolution 2023-40
• What prompted it: Public concern over BESS siting; regional planning commissions wanted time to study regulations and development standards
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Expired 2024-01-27; a six-month resolution directing county agencies not to issue permits or approvals for Battery Energy Storage Systems, adopted July 27, 2023. No row for Jefferson County, TN currently exists in the inventory; this instrument predates 2026 and has long since lapsed.
• Outcome: Term lapsed

Johnson City

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-06-05
• Normalized date: 2025-06-05 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from 2025-06-05, extended on 2026-05-21 by unanimous City Commission vote to 2026-12-03
• Current end date: 2026-12-03
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-johnson-city-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution instituting a twelve-month moratorium on new industrial land-use applications and new-construction building permits in the I-2 district
• What prompted it: Proposed data center and cryptocurrency-mining uses exposed a code gap for heavy industrial uses, noise, vibration, pollution, utility, traffic, neighborhood, and public-health impacts.
• Affected projects: New I-2 industrial land-use applications and new-construction permits; applications already approved or officially submitted were exempt.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. On 2026-05-21 the Johnson City Commission unanimously extended the moratorium, which was set to expire 2026-06-05, to 2026-12-03 while the city finishes data center noise, buffer, and siting rules (the Planning Commission has approved draft rules; final adoption was expected in October or November 2026).
• Outcome: Same meeting adopted Ordinance 4914-25, adding data centers as a permitted I-2 use with conditions. Standards include enclosed operations, 200-foot residential separation, 60-foot front setback, Type 4 buffer, equipment screening, and review for injurious noise, vibration, smoke, gas, fumes, odors, dust, and fire hazards.

Jonesborough

• Type: Town
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: The Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted Ordinance No. 2025-12 on October 13, 2025, per the Jonesborough Planning Commission packet dated May 19, 2026 (Town Administrator staff report), which states the BMA "adopted an Ordinance on October 13, 2025."
• Normalized date: 2025-10-13 (unverified)
• Duration: Two years; proposed expiration 2027-11-03 unless extended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-jonesborough-2025
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 2025-12, "An Ordinance Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on the Establishment of Data Processing Centers"
• What prompted it: Need to update land-use controls for emerging technologies, evaluate land-use compatibility, infrastructure demands, environmental and neighborhood impacts, and broader policy considerations.
• Affected projects: Rezoning requests, site plans, development plans, or building permit applications that propose or would allow a data processing center or similar facility within town limits.
• Detailed status: Replaced. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted an ordinance amending Municipal Code Title 11, Chapter 5 (Data Processing Centers and Cryptocurrency Mining) on second and final reading at its May 11, 2026 meeting, following first reading March 16, 2026 and a Planning Commission recommendation April 21, 2026. The new ordinance establishes a permitting pathway (buffers, setbacks, noise/water/electrical-grid standards, BMA approval required per application) rather than continuing a blanket ban, effectively superseding Ordinance 2025-12 as of 2026-05-11.
• Outcome: Pending. Ordinance directs study by the Planning Commission, Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and staff.

Kingston Springs

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-20, Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners approval on second reading
• Normalized date: 2026-08-20 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-kingston-springs-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Kingston Springs ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on accepting, processing, and approving applications for high-resource usage facilities such as data centers (number not published)
• What prompted it: Study utility cost allocation, water conservation, infrastructure protection, noise mitigation and acoustic standards
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium adopted on second reading 2026-08-20. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Ordinance adopted on second reading

Knox County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-22, County Commission 10-0 adoption (one member recused), effective immediately
• Normalized date: 2026-06-22 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately through June 30, 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-knox-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission resolution defining covered private data centers using a 5 MW threshold; exempts identified existing operations and bars them from increasing contracted peak power or using alternative generation to evade the pause
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

Knoxville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-07, City Council approval of an emergency ordinance
• Normalized date: 2026-07-07 (exact)
• Duration: One year, until July 7, 2027, or until data center zoning amendments take effect, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-knoxville-2026
• Legal basis: City Council emergency ordinance pausing permitting or construction of large data centers within city limits; ordinance number and signed text not located
• What prompted it: Planning and city staff directed to develop zoning-code recommendations and safeguards; follows the mayor's June 8 announcement of intent to seek a one-year moratorium
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; emergency ordinance passed unanimously 2026-07-07, running to 2027-07-07 or until zoning amendments take effect. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

LaFollette

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-04 (Tuesday before the 2026-08-05 report), LaFollette City Council unanimous 4-0 approval of an ordinance
• Normalized date: 2026-08-04 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-lafollette-2026
• Legal basis: City of LaFollette ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on processing, accepting, and approving applications for new data centers (number not published)
• What prompted it: Time to consult TVA and LaFollette Utilities Board on impacts
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; one-year moratorium approved 2026-08-04. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Ordinance approved 4-0

Loudon

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24, Loudon City Council, 3-2 vote on a resolution (amended from 18 to 12 months) following a July Loudon Regional Planning Commission recommendation
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, with an optional 12-month extension
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-loudon-2026
• Legal basis: City of Loudon resolution imposing a 12-month pause on new data center zoning approvals (number not published); state-run and utility-operated data centers exempt
• What prompted it: Extraordinary electricity demand with limited economic benefit; noise, property values, quality of life; Planning Commission recommendation
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month pause adopted 2026-08-24 while the Engineering and Planning Department and an outside consultant draft data center regulations.
• Outcome: Resolution adopted 3-2; consultant-drafted regulations to return to council

Loudon County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-29, County Commission adoption, immediately effective
• Normalized date: 2026-06-29 (exact)
• Duration: 6 months, unless standards are adopted or the Commission extends, modifies, or rescinds it sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-loudon-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission resolution barring covered facilities from filing development plans and seeking county permits, zoning or building approvals, utility extensions, text amendments, or development agreements; standard on-site business computing uses excluded
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of researched_as_of
• Outcome: —

Maury County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, Maury County Commission unanimous vote on a resolution recommended by the Regional Planning Commission
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: Up to 12 months, or until the county updates its zoning standards, whichever is first; may be extended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-maury-county-2026
• Legal basis: Maury County Commission resolution imposing a temporary moratorium on accepting, reviewing, and approving new data center proposals in unincorporated areas (number not published)
• What prompted it: Need to update the zoning ordinance for different types of data centers; power, water, noise concerns raised by the public
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium in unincorporated Maury County adopted 2026-07-20; a proposed two-year term was rejected on the county attorney's legal advice.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted

McMinnville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-03 (McMinnville approved an 18-month moratorium on new data centers, per WSMV)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-03 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-mcminnville-2026
• Legal basis: City ordinance
• What prompted it: Proposed 'Hixson Data Center,' a 96,000-square-foot, 25-megawatt AI supercomputing facility, opposed by a resident petition that gathered nearly 3,000 signatures
• Affected projects: Proposed Hixson Data Center (96,000 sq ft, 25 MW, AI supercomputing)
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; the ordinance took effect immediately upon adoption and officials indicated it could be extended if necessary. A related 'research and information-gathering process' into data centers was reported underway as of 2026-06-15.
• Outcome: 18-month moratorium adopted, blocking acceptance/processing/approval of data center land-use, zoning, building, site-plan, and conditional-use permit applications pending impact studies

Memphis

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: passed first reading 2026-08-18 (7-0) and second reading 2026-09-01; third and final reading deferred on 2026-09-15 to the 2026-10-06 council meeting, where sponsor JB Smiley plans an amended version
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: 12 months from effective date, or until comprehensive data center zoning is adopted or the ordinance is repealed, whichever is earlier; extendable
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-memphis-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed ordinance declaring a temporary moratorium on acceptance, processing, approval, and issuance of zoning, land use, building, and infrastructure permits for data center developments within the City of Memphis (sponsors Smiley, Swearengen-Washington, Cooper-Sutton, Green), under T.C.A. 13-7-201
• What prompted it: Expansion of xAI/SpaceX Colossus facilities, air pollution and noise in Boxtown and Whitehaven; no data center classification in the Unified Development Code; aquifer and water concerns
• Affected projects: xAI/SpaceX Colossus 2 expansion into Whitehaven and other new data center proposals (vested applications exempt)
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; passed two of three readings; final vote set for 2026-10-06 on an amended version.
• Outcome: —

Moore County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: April 20, 2026 (Metro Council final approval)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-20 (exact)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-moore-county-2026
• Legal basis: Metro Council ordinance (two-year data center moratorium)
• What prompted it: Time to develop data center zoning rules (noise, water, electricity, size limits) informed by other states' regulations
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Metro Council gave final approval April 20, 2026 to a two-year moratorium on new data centers and similar high-impact computing facilities, in place through April 19, 2028 unless lifted or extended.
• Outcome: Adopted

Morgan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-12, County Commission approval of a resolution
• Normalized date: 2026-06-12 (exact)
• Duration: Two years
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-morgan-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission resolution; the adopted text was not available online because Morgan County stopped posting meeting minutes in April 2026
• What prompted it: Absence of zoning and safety standards; concerns about electricity and water demand
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; two-year resolution adopted 2026-06-12. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Nashville-Davidson County

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Metro Council passed BL2026-1448 on third reading, as amended, on 2026-07-21; Mayor Freddie O'Connell approved it on 2026-07-24
• Normalized date: 2026-07-24 (exact)
• Duration: Through December 1, 2026. BL2026-1448 as introduced ran until November 1, 2026 or the effective date of BL2026-1391/BL2026-1392, whichever came first; Councilmember Johnston's floor amendment on third reading (2026-07-21) extended it to run through December 1, 2026 whether or not the zoning bills took effect earlier.
• Current end date: 2026-12-01
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-nashville-davidson-county-2026
• Legal basis: BL2026-1448 (temporary moratorium on permit processing and administrative appeals for data center developments); enacted alongside BL2026-1391, Nashville's first permanent data-center-specific zoning standards, which prohibits data center campuses of 500,000 square feet or more and restricts smaller facilities by zoning category and operating conditions
• What prompted it: Followed a record-setting July 7 public hearing with more than 200 speakers; the proposed DC BLOX facility near the Nashville Zoo was a focal point of opposition
• Affected projects: Proposed DC BLOX data center near the Nashville Zoo
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; BL2026-1448 (as amended) runs through 2026-12-01 regardless of the companion zoning bills BL2026-1391/1392, which also passed third reading on 2026-07-21. No extending or repealing legislation was found in coverage through September 2026.
• Outcome: —

Paris

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: July 2026 (exact date not confirmed)
• Normalized date: 2026-07 (month_only)
• Duration: Until zoning-ordinance rework is complete; city attorney estimated up to about a year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-paris-2026
• Legal basis: Paris Commission moratorium (voice vote), on recommendation of the Paris Municipal Regional Planning Commission
• What prompted it: City is reworking its zoning ordinances with an outside consultant; no current end date until that work concludes
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Paris Commission enacted (voice vote, all present in favor) a moratorium on computer/electronic data processing centers within city limits, to remain in effect until the city's zoning-ordinance rework is complete — estimated by the city attorney at up to about a year. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.65 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Adopted

Rhea County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-21, Rhea County Commission unanimous vote on a resolution sponsored by District 7 Commissioner Jacob Ellis (motion Mark Cashman, second Nick Welch), effective immediately
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: Temporary; term not stated in coverage
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-rhea-county-2026
• Legal basis: Rhea County Commission resolution enacting a temporary moratorium on the construction, development, establishment, or operation of data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities (number not published)
• What prompted it: Protect power grid, water systems, roads, and emergency services; preserve rural character; Regional Planning Commission to craft performance standards
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; temporary moratorium in effect since 2026-07-21 while the Rhea County Regional Planning Commission studies standards.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted unanimously

Roane County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: 2026-07-13 Roane County Commission unanimously adopted a resolution requesting a Regional Planning Commission recommendation on a two-year moratorium (amended from 180 days); the moratorium itself was not yet adopted
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Two years (requested)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-roane-county-undated
• Legal basis: Roane County Commission resolution requesting a Regional Planning Commission recommendation on a temporary moratorium on zoning requests, permits, and site plans for data centers, battery energy storage, and cryptocurrency mining facilities
• What prompted it: Water and electricity demand, cooling-fan noise, and fire and emergency response capacity
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; awaiting a Regional Planning Commission recommendation and a final commission vote. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Sevierville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: August 17, 2026, Sevierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Ordinance O2026-011 adopted on third and final reading (unanimous roll call: Helton, Koester, McCroskey, Ohman, Rader all Yes); first reading July 20, 2026, second reading August 3, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months
• Current end date: 2028-02-13
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-sevierville-undated
• Legal basis: Sevierville Ordinance O2026-011, 'imposing a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for land use, zoning, building, site plan, or conditional use permits for data centers and high-density computing facilities,' adopted on third and final reading August 17, 2026 with an immediate effective date
• What prompted it: Planning ordinance does not define or address data centers; noise, water, and utility cost concerns
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Ordinance O2026-011 was adopted on third and final reading 2026-08-17 (unanimous), imposing an 18-month moratorium on data centers and high-density computing facilities in Sevierville (automatically expiring 2028-02-13 unless earlier repealed) while staff study infrastructure, environmental, acoustic, and utility impacts.
• Outcome: —

Shelbyville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-07, City Council vote
• Normalized date: 2026-07-07 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: 2027-07-08
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-shelbyville-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 22-26, "A Resolution of the City Council of Shelbyville, Tennessee Approving and Authorizing a Moratorium on Development of All Data Centers, Including Cryptocurrency Mining, and Similar High Impact Land Uses," adopted 2026-07-07 on a favorable Planning Commission recommendation of 2026-06-25
• What prompted it: Planning Commission had recommended both a moratorium and amendments placing data centers in the city's I-3 use classification
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution 22-26 bars permits, zoning approvals, building approvals, text amendments, utility extensions, and development agreements for data center facilities through 2027-07-08, extendable by the City Council.
• Outcome: —

Smithville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Ordinance 543 adopted on second and final reading by the Smithville Board of Mayor and Aldermen at its regular meeting on 2026-08-03 (first reading 2026-07-15 at a special-called session)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months from final passage (through about 2028-02-03), or until permanent zoning amendments are adopted, whichever occurs first; extendable by ordinance amendment
• Current end date: 2028-02-03
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-smithville-undated
• Legal basis: Ordinance 543, imposing a temporary 18-month moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of building permits, zoning certificates, site plans, variances, and special exceptions for high-density computing, data centers, and cryptocurrency mining operations
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Ordinance 543 took effect on final passage 2026-08-03 and runs 18 months (to about 2028-02-03) or until permanent zoning amendments are adopted.
• Outcome: —

Sparta

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: August 16, 2026 published agenda language notwithstanding, official minutes show: June 18, 2026 - Resolution 26-626 (findings/intent) adopted and Ordinance 26-1003 given FIRST reading only; July 16, 2026 - Ordinance 26-1003 passed on SECOND AND FINAL reading (unanimous roll call), Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen
• Normalized date: 2026-07-16 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days
• Current end date: 2027-01-12
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-sparta-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-1003, 'An Ordinance of the City of Sparta, Tennessee Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on New Data Center Development,' adopted on second and final reading July 16, 2026 (first reading June 18, 2026); preceded on June 18, 2026 by Resolution 26-626 setting forth legislative findings and expressing intent to consider a moratorium
• What prompted it: Proposed data center in nearby McMinnville; electricity, water, sewer and infrastructure demands
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Ordinance 26-1003 passed second and final reading 2026-07-16, imposing a 180-day moratorium on new data-center development in Sparta (automatically expiring 2027-01-12 unless earlier repealed) while the Municipal Planning Commission reviews zoning regulations.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted unanimously

Spring City

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Final vote 2026-07-30 after a public hearing (first vote 2026-07-16), Spring City Board of Commissioners
• Normalized date: 2026-07-30 (exact)
• Duration: Two years unless ended or extended sooner
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-spring-city-2026
• Legal basis: Town of Spring City ordinance imposing a two-year moratorium on new data centers, AI computing facilities, cryptocurrency mining operations, and other high-density digital processing facilities (number not published)
• What prompted it: Study of land use, water and sewer, electrical demand, traffic, emergency response, noise and environmental effects
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; two-year moratorium approved on final vote 2026-07-30.
• Outcome: Ordinance adopted after public hearing

Sullivan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: Resolution No. 2025-11-07 was introduced 2025-11-20 and carried as Old Business on the 2025-12-18 agenda; per the Kingsport Times-News (2026-06-11) and its sponsor, Commissioner Jessica Means (WJHL), the four-month moratorium was finally approved in January 2026. In April 2026 the Commission extended it to a full 12 months, ending January 2027.
• Normalized date: 2026-01 (month_only)
• Duration: Originally four months (January to May 2026); extended at the April 16, 2026 Commission meeting to a full 12 months, ending January 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-sullivan-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 2025-11-07, as amended
• What prompted it: County findings cited extraordinary electrical demand, strain on local utilities, possible residential ratepayer cost increases, continuous cooling-system noise, property value and public-health impacts, limited job creation, fire hazards, lack of community benefit, and increasing private interest in locating data-mining or crypto-mining operations.
• Affected projects: Data-mining centers, cryptocurrency-mining operations, blockchain-computing centers, and similar high-intensity third-party revenue-generating facilities; internal data processing by ordinary commercial or industrial businesses is exempt.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. The Commission extended the four-month moratorium at its April 16, 2026 meeting to 12 months, ending January 2027 (exact day not published in any source found; Kingsport Times-News). On 2026-06-11 the Commission adopted, 18-0, the PMD-3 Planned Manufacturing District zoning amendment confining data centers, crypto mining, and battery storage to the center of industrial parks -- a separate zoning instrument from the moratorium (Resolution No. 2025-11-07, as amended), which itself does not reference battery storage; the moratorium continues while the county studies further amendments.
• Outcome: PMD-3 Planned Manufacturing District (data and energy processing) zoning amendment adopted by the County Commission on 2026-06-11 (18-0, six absent) after approval by the Sullivan County, Kingsport, and Bristol planning commissions; the moratorium was left in place to January 2027.

Trousdale County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending: Trousdale County (Hartsville/Trousdale) Planning Commission recommended a one-year moratorium at its July 2026 meeting; governing-body adoption not found
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: One year (recommended)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-trousdale-county-undated
• Legal basis: Planning Commission recommendation for a one-year data center moratorium (Hartsville/Trousdale County metropolitan government)
• What prompted it: Time to set operational guardrails for data centers with consultant Amanda Harrington
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; Planning Commission recommendation only. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Unincorporated Hamilton County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-15, County Commission approval
• Normalized date: 2026-07-15 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-unincorporated-hamilton-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission resolution approving new data centers in unincorporated Hamilton County (does not cover incorporated municipalities such as Chattanooga); final resolution text and vote tally not located
• What prompted it: County Planning Department to study practices elsewhere, consult TVA, EPB, and local water providers, and gather public input; follows Mayor Wamp's June 30 proposal
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; one-year moratorium on new data centers in unincorporated Hamilton County approved unanimously 2026-07-15, running through July 2027. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Warren County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-22, County Commission adoption
• Normalized date: 2026-06-22 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, extendable
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-warren-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission moratorium covering high-electricity computing uses; adopted resolution text not located online
• What prompted it: Officials study code, fire, infrastructure, and utility issues
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; 12-month moratorium adopted 2026-06-22 on the Economic and Agriculture Committee's recommendation, extendable; the county plans to seek a private act in 2027 for permanent controls. It does not affect the separately proposed data center inside McMinnville city limits. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.5 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Washington County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-23
• Normalized date: 2026-03-23 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately through 2027-06-30, with possible extension
• Current end date: 2027-06-30
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-washington-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 26-03-02, "Resolution Approving and Authorizing a Moratorium on Data Centers in Washington County"
• What prompted it: Regulatory gap for data processing, data mining, and cryptocurrency mining; extraordinary electrical demand; utility strain; potential residential rate impacts; continuous cooling-system noise; property value and public-health impacts; limited jobs; fire hazards; and lack of community benefit.
• Affected projects: Data center facilities, including AI, cryptocurrency-mining operations, and blockchain-computing centers in unincorporated Washington County.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution No. 26-03-02 (adopted 2026-03-23 on a 13-2 vote) runs through 2027-06-30. No extension, repeal, or replacement found; Tennessee Lookout (2026-07-30) still describes it as in force.
• Outcome: Zoning Office staff and the Washington County Regional Planning Commission were requested to study the uses and recommend zoning text amendments or other regulations.

White County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, White County Commission (Full Court) adoption of a resolution banning data centers, sent up unanimously by Steering Committee B; passed against the county attorney's and County Executive's advice
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite, while officials study electric, water, noise, wildlife, and land-use effects
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: tn-white-county-2026
• Legal basis: County Commission resolution; the county has no general zoning and described the resolution as an initial protective step; original resolution not located
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per news reporting; the indefinite resolution remains on the books, but without county zoning it has limited legal force: a rumored 4.9 MW crypto/data-mining facility on a 5-acre Pleasant Hill Road parcel surfaced in August 2026 and the County Executive said he was reviewing legal options. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Wilson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, Wilson County Commission unanimous adoption of a resolution (three members absent), after the Planning and Zoning Committee recommended it on 2026-06-22
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: tn-wilson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Wilson County Commission resolution imposing a temporary six-month moratorium on land use, zoning, building, site plan, and conditional use permit applications for data centers and high-density computing facilities (over 250 W/sq ft, including crypto mining and AI processing), and creating a five-person study committee
• What prompted it: No county protections against data center development; electricity, water, grid, ratepayer and aquifer concerns
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; the data center committee finalized a draft zoning resolution on 2026-09-15 for the Planning and Zoning Committee in October, and an extension may be sought if permanent rules are not adopted before expiry.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted; committee drafting permanent zoning (berms, 40 dBA/60 dBC noise limits, utility capacity requirements)

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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