CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council is preparing to keep new data centers out of the city for several more months, with legislation introduced Monday evening that would stretch the current building pause from its Oct. 20 expiration date to Jan. 29, 2027.
The existing moratorium covers new standalone, principal-use data centers, and city officials say Cleveland currently has no hyperscale standalone facilities of that kind. Council’s Data Center Working Group, led by Ward 13 Councilman Brian Kazy, has spent months studying how other cities around the country regulate the projects.
Kazy said three town halls drew hundreds of questions from residents, and the clearest message was that Clevelanders want firm guidance in place first — covering zoning, strain on the power grid and water use — before any project is considered. He said the working group still has loose ends to tie up and does not want to rush the rules.
Cleveland is far from alone in slowing down. Ohio communities had adopted about 125 data center moratoriums as of September, including North Royalton, Kent and Grove City, while Grafton recently approved a five-year pause. A tracking site cited by the council counts 80 data centers operating in Ohio and 189 more planned, most of them clustered around Columbus. The extension heads to council’s Finance Committee next week, with a full council vote expected shortly after, and Kazy said additional data center legislation will follow by the end of January.
