Intelligence Update
US data center critics pivot from moratoria to regulations
In April 2026, the US state of Maine's governor vetoed a state-level data center moratorium bill, the latest in a series of similar regulatory actions across the US. Moratorium bills aim to pause data center construction long enough for local governments to establish regulations — or impose an outright ban — but most have failed to pass. As state-level attempts to advance data center bans falter, opposition groups are pivoting toward other targeted regulatory strategies.
Targeted regulatory bill proposals are surging in 2026. US state lawmakers have already introduced hundreds of bills in more than 25 states. Most will be debated in legislative chambers, but few will pass into law. Those that do make it through committees, such as those recently passed in Oregon, Texas and Arizona, target electricity costs, operating restrictions, environmental protection and tax policy.
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