Cleveland City Council Approves Temporary Pause on New Standalone Data Centers

Cleveland City Council has approved a temporary three-month pause on new standalone, principal-use data center projects.

This temporary pause gives the City and Cleveland City Council the time to carefully evaluate these impacts, hear from residents and stakeholders, and put responsible safeguards in place.

The moratorium is currently scheduled to remain in effect through October 16, 2026. If additional time is needed, City Council may extend it for up to three more months.

What is the Moratorium?

Cleveland City Council has approved a temporary three-month pause on new standalone, principal-use data center projects in the city. During this time, the City will not review, or issue permits or approvals for new standalone, principal use data centers or the expansion of existing standalone data centers.

The pause gives City leaders time to review how these projects should be regulated and what policies are in the best interest of Cleveland residents. If more time is needed, City Council may extend the pause for up to an additional three months.

Why is the City taking this step?

As demand for large-scale data centers continues to grow across the country, Cleveland is taking a thoughtful approach to understand how these facilities could affect neighborhoods, infrastructure, natural resources, and quality of life.

The moratorium allows the City to study potential impacts, gather community feedback, and develop responsible policies before considering future standalone data center projects.

What About the Existing Data Centers in Cleveland?

Currently, Cleveland has zero hyperscale, standalone data centers. The moratorium does not impact the operation of existing data centers.

What About the Environmental Impact of Data Centers in Cleveland?

Large, standalone data centers can have significant environmental impacts.

As a Great Lakes city, Cleveland has a responsibility to protect our water resources and ensure new development is compatible with the health and well-being of our neighborhoods.

That's why our administration is taking the time to fully evaluate the environmental impacts of standalone data centers and work with City Council to establish thoughtful safeguards that protect our natural resources, our infrastructure, and our residents.

How are Hyperscale Data Centers different from other types of data centers?

Colocated, edge or enterprise data centers are typically smaller facilities that support the technology needs of one business or provide space for multiple businesses to store and manage their data.

A hyperscale data center is much larger. These facilities are built for a single technology company and are designed to process enormous amounts of data. Because of their size, hyperscale data centers require significantly more land, electricity, and water than traditional data centers.