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Hillsboro’s 120-day pause is a land-use application moratorium—not a citywide construction shutdown. Enacted July 27, 2026, it covers applications for new or expanded data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS) proposed as a primary use. The City lists November 24, 2026, as the initial end date; whether the City Council acted on proposed code amendments at its scheduled October 6 meeting is not established by the latest official update available here.

What Hillsboro’s moratorium does—and does not—stop

The City adopted the temporary moratorium on July 27, 2026, for 120 days. It suspends acceptance of covered land-use applications for new or expanded data-center and BESS facilities proposed as a primary use. It is not a blanket stop-work order: projects with applications submitted before enactment may proceed. The City’s announcement describes the action as a temporary pause while Hillsboro reviews its rules.

The City’s summary of Resolution 2932 describes “primary use” thresholds that include a facility accounting for more than 20% of a site’s total structure square footage, more than 20% of the original construction value, or more than 20% or 20 megawatts of total contracted or available electrical-service capacity. These are summary-level descriptions; the resolution’s exact language governs how the criteria apply to a particular proposal. Hillsboro’s data-centers page provides the City’s information and resolution materials.

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When the pause is scheduled to end

The City’s published timeline gives November 24, 2026, as the initial expiration date. Hillsboro says an extension of up to six months may be possible after a public hearing if the local government verifies that the need remains and demonstrates reasonable progress toward addressing it. The City describes an extension as an option, not a decision already made. The City’s timeline and data-center information outline the stated schedule and conditions.

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Why the City says it imposed the pause

Hillsboro says the moratorium gives it time to gather public input, consult technical experts, research local conditions, and consider longer-term rules for where and under what conditions data centers and BESS facilities should be allowed. The City’s stated legal findings identify questions and concerns sufficient to justify study; they do not conclude that data centers or BESS facilities are harmful to Hillsboro’s environment or economy. The pause should not be read as proof that local harm has been established.

Mayor Beach Pace described the goal as developing rules that balance “innovation, economic opportunity, and the quality of life our community values.”

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What Hillsboro is considering in its code update

The City has organized its work in two phases. Phase I focuses on definitions and which uses are allowable in which zones. The Planning Commission approved the proposed Phase I Community Development Code amendment at a September 9, 2026, public hearing. A City update published September 11 said Council would consider it on October 6. That update does not report what Council decided, so the outcome should not be described as approved, rejected, or revised without a later Council record or City update.

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The proposed Phase I topics include:

  • Definitions for data centers and energy storage facilities.
  • Which zones allow, limit, or prohibit those uses.
  • Potential buffers from schools.
  • How accessory uses are treated.
  • Transfer rights.

Phase II is planned for winter and spring 2027 and is intended to address development and design standards, informed by environmental and economic analysis and local research. The City’s broader work plan also lists a pre-submittal utility-service availability requirement, community service fee and Enterprise Zone policy updates, and exploration of a utility affordability program. These are planned items, not completed policy changes. Hillsboro’s project page describes the phases and timeline.

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How the local land-use pause differs from Oregon’s tax-incentive pause

Hillsboro’s moratorium concerns local land-use applications and code planning. Separately, Oregon’s 2026 moratorium on data-center Enterprise Zone agreements concerns tax incentives and is described by the City as beginning June 6, 2026. The state action did not result from Hillsboro’s July land-use moratorium; they address different processes. The City’s July announcement distinguishes its action from the state measure.

What to watch before the November deadline

  • A later City Council record or City update clarifying the October 6 decision on Phase I.
  • Any formal decision to extend the moratorium, which would require a public hearing and the conditions described by the City.
  • Whether later code proposals settle zoning, school buffers, accessory uses, utility-service screening, and eventual design standards.

Hillsboro reported 18 constructed or under-construction data-center sites as of March 2026. That is a dated City count, not a current total or a count of sites covered by the moratorium. The City’s data-center page provides the figure and its context.

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