Boise Votes 6-Month Moratorium on Data Centers of 20 MW or More

The Boise City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 10, 2026, to pause new applications for large data centers for up to six months, a moratorium that covers projects of 100,000 square feet or more, or 20 MW of power demand.

The ordinance took effect immediately, according to Idaho Capital Sun and Idaho News 6 (KBOI), so the city will not accept or process applications that fall inside those limits. Idaho Capital Sun reported a standing-room crowd of more than 100 people after an hour-long public hearing. Mayor Lauren McLean proposed the measure on Nov. 6, four days before the vote.

The size threshold: 100,000 sq ft or 20 MW

Idaho Capital Sun says the moratorium applies to projects of 100,000 square feet or larger, or that use 20 megawatts of power. Idaho News 6 (KBOI) gives the same floor area and states the power test as a projected demand of at least 20 MW at full buildout. A KIVI report on the same vote gives 200 megawatts. Two of the three outlets say 20 MW, and the city's ordinance text was not available to us, so Voltgrid uses 20 MW and treats the KIVI figure as unresolved. The floor-area limit is the same in all three.

The 20 MW test is a power-demand trigger, so a compact campus can fall under the pause even if its building is smaller than 100,000 square feet. City staff said the 100,000 square feet reflects the scale at which a project can have detrimental effects on neighbors and the environment.

No application is pending

The city has no large data center application on file. The mayor's Nov. 6 release says Boise "currently does not have any applications for mega data centers", and McLean told the Idaho Capital Sun she acted before an application arrived "so that we can be sure that we get it right". Chief of Staff Hannah Brass Greer said Boise's existing code does not address data centers. The pause is therefore a drafting window, not a block on a live project.

During the window the city will review its code, study water, energy, wastewater, noise and public safety effects, and take public comment. Brass Greer told KIVI the city does not think it can ban the use outright, which is why it chose a pause. Every speaker at the hearing backed the moratorium, and some asked for more, according to Idaho Capital Sun and KIVI.

Why it matters for developers and utilities

For anyone planning a site in the Boise area, the earliest decision on a large project now comes after the city writes permanent rules. The six months run from the Nov. 10 vote, but no source we read gives a fixed end date, and the city can set rules sooner.

Boise is the latest local government to act in Idaho. Bannock County signed a 180-day moratorium in July, and Mountain Home passed one in October, as Voltgrid reported. Elsewhere, Oakland extended its moratorium and Mooresville, North Carolina, approved a 12-month pause.

What is not confirmed yet

The city's ordinance text and the official end date were not available to us, and the KIVI 200 MW figure conflicts with the other reports. Idaho Capital Sun noted that Meta recently switched on a data center south of Kuna, and that conservation groups are watching a proposed 4-million-square-foot Rhea Data campus south of Boise and another proposal near Twin Falls. Whether Ada County or neighboring cities follow is open.