Monthly report
U.S. data centers in August 2026
In August 2026, the Data Center Census recorded 66 dated changes at 54 tracked projects across 30 states.
Final report for August 2026, published September 1, 2026. Last data change: . Page rebuilt .
← July 2026 September 2026 → All reports · Monthly RSS
- Dated changes
- 66
- Projects with a first milestone
- 0
- Moratorium actions
- 14
- Court cases filed
- 1
The month in one paragraph
In August 2026, the Data Center Census recorded 66 dated changes at 54 tracked projects across 30 states. Events recorded include 5 approvals, 1 denial, 5 cancellations. 14 moratorium actions were recorded, 13 of them adopted, extended or announced. 1 court case was filed. That is 14 fewer than the 80 changes recorded in July 2026.
Counts describe what was recorded in this tracker, from published filings, notices and reports. They are not a measure of everything that happened in the industry, and a month’s counts can rise later if sources dated in it are added.
Compared with July 2026
| Measure | August 2026 | July 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dated changes recorded | 66 | 80 | −14 |
| Projects with a change | 54 | 58 | −4 |
| States | 30 | 27 | +3 |
| Projects with first milestone | 0 | 2 | −2 |
| Approval events | 5 | 9 | −4 |
| Denial events | 1 | 2 | −1 |
| Cancellation events | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Construction or operations starts | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Moratorium actions | 14 | 9 | +5 |
| Court cases filed | 1 | 4 | −3 |
| Hearings and votes held | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Hearings and votes upcoming | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Every dated change
| Date | What changed | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | NC DEQ announces final air quality permits for Amazon's 588 emergency engines and Duke Energy's 57 bridge power engines NC Department of Environmental Quality | Amazon Web Services Richmond County data center campus Hamlet, Richmond County, NC · Under construction |
| Aug 28, 2026 | County says Superior Court found moratorium findings insufficient and ordered it withdrawn County of Imperial Cancellation | Imperial Data Center Imperial, Imperial County, CA · Paused |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Cole County judge hears arguments on motion to dismiss the Preserve Montgomery County lawsuit KBIA | AWS Project Green New Florence, Montgomery County, MO · Approved |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Palm Beach County commissioners vote 7-0 on first reading for a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers (an anticipated monthly peak load of 50 megawatts or more), with a final vote set for Sept. 24 NewsRadio WIOD | Project Tango Loxahatchee, Palm Beach County, FL · Denied |
| Aug 27, 2026 | The borough planning committee's agenda included Switch's notice of intent to seek subdivision and land development approval. Big Beaver Borough Approval | Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA · Proposed |
| Aug 27, 2026 | The borough meeting on Switch's plans moved outdoors because of the large turnout, and residents raised concerns about the project. Beaver County Radio | Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA · Proposed |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Activists cite the East Fishkill fight in calling on the governor to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act Food & Water Watch | Treetop East Fishkill Data Center East Fishkill, Dutchess County, NY · Rumored |
| Aug 27, 2026 | SC Public Service Commission rules the utility siting law does not apply to the facility SC Daily Gazette | Valara Holdings High Performance Compute Center Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, SC · Under construction |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Amazon withdraws its application to renew a DEQ groundwater permit for the campus and says it will seek other water sources Virginia Mercury Cancellation | Amazon Data Services King George campus (former Birchwood power plant site) King George County, VA · Paused |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Intermediate Court of Appeals dismisses environmental groups' appeals for lack of jurisdiction, finding good cause for late appeals to the WV Supreme Court WDTV | Ridgeline Facility Thomas, Tucker County, WV · Approved |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Township issues second stop-work order pending Aqua confirmation of water availability MyChesCo | Sentinel / Green Fig Data Center Malvern, Chester County, PA · Paused |
| Aug 24, 2026 | Council annexes three more parcels (6.55 acres) in CRG's plan, 5-2, days before a new state annexation law took effect Jefferson County Leader | CRG Festus Data Center Festus, Jefferson County, MO · Approved |
| Aug 23, 2026 | NM Supreme Court stays air-permit proceeding and well drilling KVIA | Project Jupiter Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM · Under construction |
| Aug 19, 2026 | At a county commissioners' work session, the county solicitor reported that the county planning commission had reviewed the application and was forwarding its recommendations to the borough. Beaver County Radio | Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA · Proposed |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Fiscal Court votes 5-4 to deny revised data center regulations and hire a consultant; Judge-Executive calls Aug. 24 special meeting for a new first reading The Oldham Era Denial | Project Lincoln Oldham County, KY · Cancelled |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Madison County Board of Supervisors upholds the tax assessor's valuation of five Canton data center buildings, rejecting Amazon's appeal Mississippi Free Press | Amazon Web Services Madison County Mega Site campus Canton, Madison County, MS · Operating |
| Aug 17, 2026 | City and developers' motions to dismiss set for a Sept. 8 hearing before Will County Judge Victoria Breslan Shaw Local (The Herald-News) | Joliet Technology Center Joliet, Will County, IL · Approved |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Oracle moves to voluntarily drop its Ozaukee County Circuit Court lawsuit challenging the Wisconsin PSC's credit rating requirements for data center developers Wisconsin Watch | Port Washington (Lighthouse) Data Center Campus Port Washington, Ozaukee County, WI · Under construction |
| Aug 17, 2026 | OpenAI announces it has joined the project under a 20-year lease, with NVIDIA investing $1.5 billion OpenAI | PORTS-Pike Technology Campus Piketon, Pike County, OH · Under construction |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Judge James Kaste dismisses the petition, ruling the petitioners did not respond to a motion to dismiss in time and did not show how they would be personally harmed Cowboy State Daily | Prometheus Hyperscale Evanston Campus Evanston, Uinta County, WY · Approved |
| Aug 17, 2026 | With the company permitting disclosure, the county releases project details ahead of an Aug. 25 special meeting for the public to hear about the project Halifax County Board of Commissioners, via RRSpin | Quiet Data Centers, Trestle Road Enfield, Halifax County, NC · Proposed |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Verrus submits fifth site plan revision The Livingston Post | Project Flex New Hudson, Oakland County, MI · Approved |
| Aug 13, 2026 | County Planning Commission holds a hearing on the office complex conditional use permit Laramie County | Project Tembo Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY · Approved |
| Aug 13, 2026 | WVDEP determines Fundamental Data has demonstrated site control after company missed Aug 7 deadline and filed documents Aug 11 West Virginia Watch | Ridgeline Facility Thomas, Tucker County, WV · Approved |
| Aug 12, 2026 | LPSC votes 3-1 to reject an administrative law judge's recommendation to make Meta job and power-demand information available through subpoenas WWNO | Meta Hyperion Holly Ridge, Richland Parish, LA · Under construction |
| Aug 12, 2026 | City issues two stop-construction orders over LNG tank and Bloom Energy fuel cell work done without permits WHYY | Nebius Vineland Data Center Vineland, Cumberland County, NJ · Under construction |
| Aug 12, 2026 | The borough began posting the application and supporting studies online for public review. Big Beaver Borough | Switch Big Beaver data center campus Big Beaver, Beaver County, PA · Proposed |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Village voters answer No to an advisory, non-binding referendum question on whether the village should authorize or participate in public improvements connected to large data center projects Spectrum News 1 (Wisconsin) | Cloverleaf, Village of Wrightstown Wrightstown, Brown County, WI · Rumored |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Sailfish commits project to Governor Abbott's audit process and SB 6 interconnection requirements Sailfish Investors (via National Law Review) | Comanche Circle Tolar, Hood County, TX · Approved |
| Aug 11, 2026 | DC BLOX sues Metro in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee over the moratorium Axios Nashville | DC BLOX Nashville Data Center Nashville, Davidson County, TN · Proposed |
| Aug 10, 2026 | $6.5B, 15-year lease signed with TensorWave ABC 7 Amarillo | Fermi America Project Matador Amarillo, Carson County, TX · Under construction |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Linn County drops proposal to allow large data centers co-located with nuclear plants in the EU-2 zoning district KCRG | Google Palo data center campus Palo, Linn County, IA · Proposed |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Council Republicans propose asking Amazon for $7 million; Amazon says it is not interested in revisiting the abatement WVPE | Project Rainier (AWS New Carlisle campus) New Carlisle, St. Joseph County, IN · Operating |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Nessel and environmental groups file initial briefs in consolidated appeal Michigan Advance | Saline Township Stargate Data Center Saline Township, Washtenaw County, MI · Under construction |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Utility information form filed estimating 894 MW electric load Spotsylvania County | Crossroads Technology Campus Spotsylvania County, VA · Proposed |
| Aug 7, 2026 | BLE Landholdings withdraws its rezoning application at the City of Pacific level, days after Pacific's mayor signs a one-year moratorium on new data-center applications; officials note the site sits in unincorporated Franklin County, where a separate county rezoning case remains open Yahoo News (KSDK) Cancellation | Meramec Valley Technology Park Pacific, Franklin County, MO · Approved |
| Aug 7, 2026 | PSC requires ATC to restart its application for the $1.3B+ transmission line and five substations serving the campus Wisconsin Watch | Port Washington (Lighthouse) Data Center Campus Port Washington, Ozaukee County, WI · Under construction |
| Aug 6, 2026 | PBA Holdings sues WPB Logistics and its attorneys Stet News | Project Tango Loxahatchee, Palm Beach County, FL · Denied |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Supervisors' vote postponed after overflow turnout created a fire hazard WHP 580 | Pennsylvania Digital 1 (PAX-1) Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, PA · Approved |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Landowner PBA Holdings appeals the County Commission's July 15 denial under Florida's Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act, which leads to a hearing before a special magistrate Stet News | Project Tango Loxahatchee, Palm Beach County, FL · Denied |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Voters overturn the rezoning in a referendum, per unofficial results The Sun Times News | Augusta Township Data Center (Thor Equities) Augusta Township, Washtenaw County, MI · Denied |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Calvert County government issues a news release saying Amazon Web Services is abandoning its plans for data centers on the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant campus Maryland Matters Cancellation | Calvert Technology Center Lusby, Calvert County, MD · Cancelled |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Metro Council authorizes eminent domain acquisition of the site, 27-5 NewsChannel 5 | DC BLOX Nashville Data Center Nashville, Davidson County, TN · Proposed |
| Aug 4, 2026 | City of Hermantown submits the updated AUAR to the Environmental Quality Board City of Hermantown | Google Hermantown Data Center Hermantown, St. Louis County, MN · Proposed |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Statewide reporting describes the project as facing legal challenges, with the town planning board requesting additional work Spectrum News / NY State of Politics | Lake Hawkeye Lansing, Tompkins County, NY · Proposed |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Effingham County commissioners approve Ordinance 2026-352 permitting data centers in industrial zones Effingham Herald Approval | Project Camellia Rincon, Effingham County, GA · Proposed |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Salem City Council unanimously votes to advance a data center development moratorium, with a Verrus application pending KATU | Oakline at Mill Creek Salem, OR · Proposed |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Michigan Attorney General files brief opposing DTE's proposed 80% minimum billing demand Planet Detroit | Project Cannoli Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI · Approved |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Developers withdraw offer to downsize to 536,000 sq ft and switch to air chillers The Philadelphia Inquirer Cancellation | Sentinel / Green Fig Data Center Malvern, Chester County, PA · Paused |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Virginia DEQ discharge (VPDES) permit for cooling water discharge into Sedges Creek takes effect Tammy Purcell (Substack) | Amazon Web Services Louisa County campuses Louisa, Louisa County, VA · Under construction |
| Aug 2026 | Madison Township trustees vote unanimously to reject Trenton's annexation petition WYSO (WVXU story) | Amazon Web Services data center campus, Madison and St. Clair townships Butler County, OH · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | St. Clair Township also rejects the annexation WYSO (WVXU story) | Amazon Web Services data center campus, Madison and St. Clair townships Butler County, OH · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | State regulators reviewing draft air permits for backup diesel generators after public hearings Inside Climate News | Amazon Web Services Richmond County data center campus Hamlet, Richmond County, NC · Under construction |
| Aug 2026 | Clinton County Board of Elections votes unanimously not to certify a citizen data center regulation initiative WKRC Local 12 | AWS Wilmington data center Wilmington, Clinton County, OH · Approved |
| Aug 2026 | Residents' group appeals planning commission's conditional preliminary approval of a second Greenfield Road data center LancasterOnline Approval | CoreWeave Lancaster data center Lancaster, Lancaster County, PA · Under construction |
| Aug 2026 | Governor's executive order removes data centers, including Amazon's, from the state fast-track permitting program The Philadelphia Inquirer | Falls Township Innovation Campus Falls Township, Bucks County, PA · Under construction |
| Aug 2026 | CRC holds informational meetings in Taft Taft Midway Driller | Golden Valley Technology Hub Taft, Kern County, CA · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | County issues grading plans and land disturbance permit Botetourt County, VA | Google Botetourt County Data Center Campus Botetourt County, VA · Approved |
| Aug 2026 | Google scales back the proposal from four data center buildings to three Red Lake Nation News (republished from the Minnesota Star Tribune) | Google Hermantown Data Center Hermantown, St. Louis County, MN · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | Building 12 operating, per Epoch AI Epoch AI | Meta Prometheus New Albany, Franklin and Licking counties, OH · Operating |
| Aug 2026 | NCCS representatives tell the Massena Planning Board that planned on-site emergency generators have been cut from 314 to 68 to address noise concerns NNY360 (Watertown Daily Times) | North Country Colocation Services Massena Expansion Massena, St. Lawrence County, NY · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | Mercer County Fiscal Court passes a temporary pause on data center construction that does not apply in Burgin Kentucky Lantern | Project Bluegrass Burgin, Mercer County, KY · Proposed |
| Aug 2026 | Two of the five Bessemer City Council members who voted for the Project Marvel rezoning lose their seats in the August municipal elections, according to the Birmingham Free Press Birmingham Free Press | Project Marvel Bessemer, Jefferson County, AL · Approved |
| Aug 2026 | Nine Lake County residents and Preservation of Community Well-being Collective LLC file suit challenging the village's approvals Lake and McHenry County Scanner Approval | T5 @ Chicago IV Grayslake, Lake County, IL · Approved |
| Aug 2026 | Planning Commission tables the truck stop plat application pending a third-party study and tables the data center ordinance to include public comment in its report Utah Public Radio | Tooele Valley data center (Burmester Road / I-80) Tooele County, UT · Paused |
| Aug 2026 | Economic Development Authority of Columbia County approves a memorandum of understanding for a $17 billion data center investment by Kinetic Infrastructure Solutions, an Alphabet subsidiary; county says Google will pay $40 million a year for seven years WRDW Approval | White Oak Technology Park Appling, Columbia County, GA · Approved |
Moratorium actions
| Jurisdiction | Action | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County California · ten months and fifteen days | Extended | reported Aug 28, 2026 | County of Imperial |
| Imperial County California | Set aside by court | reported Aug 28, 2026 | County of Imperial |
| City of Elkhart Indiana | Adopted | Aug 27, 2026 | WNDU |
| Town of Cary North Carolina · 18 months | Adopted | Aug 27, 2026 | WRAL |
| City of Indianapolis Indiana | Adopted | Aug 19, 2026 | Axios Indianapolis |
| Spokane County Washington · 4 months | Adopted | Aug 18, 2026 | Spokane County Board of County Commissioners |
| Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Tennessee | Adopted | reported Aug 11, 2026 | Axios Nashville |
| Edgecombe County North Carolina · two years | Adopted | Aug 3, 2026 | WRAL |
| Anderson County South Carolina · six months | Adopted | Aug 2026 | FOX Carolina |
| Durham County North Carolina · nine months | Adopted | Aug 2026 | WUNC |
| Gregg Township Pennsylvania | Adopted | Aug 2026 | NorthcentralPA.com |
| Mercer County Kentucky · one year | Adopted | Aug 2026 | Louisville Public Media |
| Montgomery County Maryland · 18 months | Extended | Aug 2026 | Maryland Matters |
| Texas Texas | Announced | Aug 2026 | The Texas Tribune |
Court cases filed
| Case | Project | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DCB Nashville, LLC v. The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, No. 3:26-cv-01143 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee · filed Aug 11, 2026 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (via WKRN) | DC BLOX Nashville Data Center | pending |
How this report is made
Generated from the Census records at build time. It lists dated timeline events, hearings, lawsuit filing dates and moratorium actions that fall in the month; each links to its project record and source. A month-only date belongs to its month. Entries dated only to a year are not placed in a month. Approval, denial, cancellation and construction counts are made by reading the wording of each dated event, so one event can count in more than one group, and a vote on a related item can be miscounted; open the linked record to read the source. Nothing is estimated.
The same data is behind the statistics page, the charts and the downloads.
Cite this page
Last updated Oct 14, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). U.S. data centers in August 2026. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/reports/2026-08 |
|---|---|
| MLA | “U.S. data centers in August 2026.” Data Center Census, Oct 14, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/reports/2026-08. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/reports/2026-08 |
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