U.S. Data Center Legislation Tracker

• A data center is a physical building full of computers (servers) that store data and run online services. When you: stream a video, send a message, use cloud storage, run an online tool, load a website you’re relying on data centers somewhere to do the compute and storage. They are the physical infrastructure of the internet.
• Why the backlash? Data centers are scaling fast and they’re colliding with local constraints. What was once invisible and under the radar is now highly visible industrial development.

Additional Resources: What is a Data Center? (IBM)

• Data centers aren’t inherently villains, they’re infrastructure with tradeoffs, and policy can shape outcomes. Data centers support: Public services (education, hospitals, government systems), the cloud economy, startups and local business infrastructure, national competitiveness in AI and tech.
• Not all data centers are equal. Newer designs can reduce: water use (or eliminate it in some configurations), noise (better standards and siting), emissions from backup power (cleaner backup solutions, stricter runtime rules).

Key idea: policy can push the industry toward better practices.

• Supportive (Green): incentives / funding / pro-development posture
• Restrictive (Red): state-level restrictions or subsidy rollbacks
• Municipal (Orange): city/county restrictions or moratoriums
• Mixed (Yellow): incentives + restrictions coexist
• Neutral: no major activity tracked

Each state entry tracks counts, stance, and “bills & actions” with primary sources when possible. Data is updated manually. Last site update shown in each state panel. Legislative status can change rapidly — always verify with the linked sources before drawing conclusions.

• Incentives (tax, grants, infrastructure support)
• Restrictions (moratoriums, subsidy rollbacks, caps)
• Municipal siting and zoning actions
• Grid cost rules + reporting requirements
• Water and emissions policies

• Legislators are increasingly focused on reliability, interconnection queues, and who pays for upgrades when large loads connect.
• These include: grid-cost allocation bills, large-load tariffs, interconnection rules, backup generation rules, and emissions reporting

• Cities and counties often move first: zoning, public hearings, water constraints, and community benefit requirements.
• These include: zoning changes, moratoriums,atoriums, conditional use permits, water use disclosure, reuse requirements, caps