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As of October 7, 2026, Pima County had approved a data-center moratorium, Charlotte had put a temporary pause in place and was considering an extension, and Guilford County was weighing policy options with a public hearing scheduled. The jurisdictions are at different stages—not all have stopped new projects. Charlotte’s notable catch is that its zoning rules allow data centers by right in seven districts, without additional data-center-specific conditions.

What is happening in each jurisdiction?

Jurisdiction Status as of October 7, 2026 Scope and timing
Charlotte, North Carolina City Council adopted a temporary pause; an extension hearing was scheduled. 150 days beginning June 8, covering the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The city FAQ lists November 5 as the scheduled end date.
Pima County, Arizona The Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2026-56 on September 22, implementing a data-center development moratorium. The official summary confirms adoption. The detailed operative terms and exemptions are not established by that summary.
Guilford County, North Carolina The county had discussed policy options; a news report said a hearing on a possible moratorium was scheduled. TechRadar reported an October 15 hearing on a proposed pause of up to 180 days. That date was still in the future on October 7.

Charlotte: a pause amid permissive zoning

Charlotte City Council approved a 150-day moratorium on June 8, 2026. It covers acceptance, processing and approval of applications for new telecommunications and data storage facilities within the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The city says already-approved projects may continue and existing facilities may operate. Its stated purpose is to assess infrastructure capacity, noise, environmental issues and other impacts before further development proceeds. City of Charlotte data-center FAQ.

The zoning catch: data centers are allowed by right in seven districts

Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance lists data centers as permitted by right in General Commercial, Regional Commercial, Office Flex Campus, Research Campus, Manufacturing & Logistics ML-1 and ML-2, Innovation Mixed Use, and Uptown Core districts. The city says it treats all data centers alike regardless of size, type or capacity; they must meet general development standards, but the ordinance prescribes no additional conditions specific to data centers. A by-right use does not require an individual rezoning hearing simply to establish that use in a listed district. That framework is the regulatory gap the pause gives the city time to examine. City of Charlotte data-center FAQ and zoning information.

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What happens next in Charlotte?

The city FAQ lists November 5, 2026, as the moratorium’s scheduled end date and says Council set a public hearing on an extension for October 12. As of October 7, that hearing had not happened, so no extension outcome can be stated. The FAQ describes an initial study and interdepartmental workgroup phase, followed by potential code or policy amendments through the normal legislative process. It also says a task force is convening to prepare recommendations, and lists public engagement through September 29. City of Charlotte data-center FAQ.

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Pima County: moratorium approved, details require care

Pima County’s Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2026-56, implementing a moratorium on data-center development, on September 22, 2026. The resolution—not the earlier proposal—is the basis for saying the county adopted a moratorium. Pima County Resolution No. 2026-56.

The county had already begun a zoning-code process after a Board vote in September 2025. At an August 11, 2026, meeting, an agenda item proposed directing the County Administrator to develop a 120-day moratorium in unincorporated Pima County while zoning amendments were completed. That earlier item explains the proposal’s context; it is not a substitute for the September resolution’s terms. Pima County August 11 agenda item.

The official summary available here does not establish all operative details or exemptions, so it would be inaccurate to assume that every proposed or underway project is covered—or exempt. TechRadar reported on October 5 that two projects already underway were not covered and that the Goldwater Institute challenged the moratorium’s legality; those are secondary-source claims, not terms established by the official summary. TechRadar’s October 5 report.

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Guilford County: policy discussion, not an enacted pause

Guilford County’s official September 17 record labels its agenda item “DATA CENTERS.” It says staff would provide an overview covering land use, infrastructure, utilities, economic development and policy considerations, with a request to receive an update and consider policy options. The record does not show that commissioners adopted a moratorium. Guilford County September 17 meeting record.

TechRadar reported on October 5 that commissioners had scheduled an October 15 public hearing on a possible temporary moratorium of up to 180 days. It also reported that the county planning director said there were no pending permits or requests for new data centers in unincorporated areas. As of October 7, the hearing was still upcoming, and the reported proposal should not be described as an adopted policy. TechRadar’s October 5 report.

Why these actions are not interchangeable

  • Adoption: Pima County had approved a moratorium. Charlotte had adopted a time-limited pause. Guilford County’s official record documented a policy discussion, while its reported hearing remained in the future.
  • Geography: Charlotte’s action covers the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The August Pima proposal specified unincorporated county areas, but the proposal alone does not establish the final resolution’s full scope.
  • Duration: Charlotte’s adopted pause is 150 days. Pima’s August agenda item proposed 120 days, but that figure should not be treated as the September resolution’s confirmed duration without its operative text. Guilford’s reported proposal was for up to 180 days, not an adopted term.
  • Projects already in motion: Charlotte explicitly allows already-approved projects to continue. The official Pima summary does not establish detailed exemptions; the reported treatment of two underway projects is secondary reporting. The cited Guilford materials do not establish an enacted moratorium or project exemptions.
  • Policy problem: Charlotte’s records identify a framework that permits data centers by right in seven districts without additional prescribed conditions specific to them. Pima’s earlier agenda item links its proposal to zoning-code amendments. Guilford’s official item lists land use, infrastructure, utilities and economic development among the considerations, rather than documenting a final policy.

These are local planning actions at different stages, not evidence that all three governments have imposed equivalent bans. The most concrete regulatory contrast is Charlotte’s: the city temporarily paused new applications while reviewing rules that currently allow data centers as of right in specified districts.

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