More than 300 local data center bans have delayed only three US projects
SemiAnalysis says most local moratoriums have not stopped the wider buildout, and the U.S. pipeline still points to 38 GW in 2027.
SemiAnalysis says more than 300 local moratoriums on data center construction have so far changed little in its U.S. buildout forecast, with only three projects likely to slip and about 2.3 GW of the 21 GW in moratorium areas at risk. The firm’s latest view still points to 38 GW of U.S. data center IT capacity coming online in 2027, with 22 GW already under vertical construction and 16 GW mostly financed and in site work. It argues that many bans miss the parcel, permit, or timing needed to stop a project, and that existing approvals and projects already far along are often unaffected. Texas may still matter more because Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to stop issuing data center permits, and Bracewell says that pause should last until ERCOT finishes its review in mid-December. The firm says moratoriums would need to become much broader and stricter before they materially slow the buildout, and the next checkpoint is the TCEQ compliance report due Monday.
Why it matters
For communities trying to slow new data center construction, the report says local bans have had limited reach so far. For the industry, that means most of the planned U.S. capacity still appears on track, unless restrictions become broader and tighter than the current wave of moratoriums.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware