Data centers · Oct 18, 2026, 16:55
US data center moratoriums delay only about 2.3 GW, SemiAnalysis finds
More than 300 local US bans on new data centers are holding up only three projects, a SemiAnalysis review finds. The industry's 2027 growth looks on track. A permit freeze in Texas is the big unknown.
Illustration (AI-generated)
A data center under construction.
Key takeaways
More than 300 local US data center moratoriums are likely to delay only three projects, totaling about 2.3 GW.
SemiAnalysis still expects 38 GW of new US data center capacity in 2027, more than double 2026.
Most pauses only stop new applications, so projects already approved or being built carry on.
The figure leaves out Texas, where the governor has told regulators to stop issuing data center permits.
Watch Texas: the pause is expected to last until the state grid operator's review in mid-December.
What the audit found
A moratorium is a temporary legal pause, usually a freeze on new applications. More than 300 local ones now cover data centers across the US. But they are likely to delay only three projects, according to a SemiAnalysis review reported by Tom's Hardware.
