Memphis Council Rejects Indefinite Data Center Pause, Approves 135-Day Moratorium
The Memphis City Council voted against an indefinite pause on data centers. Instead, they approved the development of land-use standards and regulations for data centers, which includes a 135-day moratorium.
Memphis, TN, October 21, 2026 —
The Memphis City Council voted against an indefinite pause on data centers and instead approved the development of land-use standards and regulations for the facilities. The approved approach includes a 135-day moratorium.
The decision means the council did not adopt the proposed indefinite pause. The summary of the action does not explain what prompted the proposal or describe the council’s reasoning. It also does not provide the vote tally, the date of the vote, or the names of council members who supported or opposed the measures.
The summary identifies the moratorium as part of the approved development of standards and regulations, but does not specify when the 135-day period begins or ends. It does not say what activities the moratorium covers, whether there are exceptions, or what process the council will use to develop and approve the land-use rules.
Further details about the standards are not provided, including what requirements they may contain or how they would apply to data center proposals. The summary also does not state whether any specific project would be affected during the moratorium.
As described, the council’s action combines a temporary moratorium with work on regulations, rather than an indefinite pause. The available information does not establish what will happen after the 135-day period or when additional details about the proposed standards may be released.
Story summarized from the original created by bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) on dailymemphian.com, see more information here.
