Fort Worth residents gathered at City Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, for the first of two required public hearings on a city‑wide moratorium that would temporarily halt new data‑center projects. The hearing, part of a state‑mandated process, featured testimony from about two dozen speakers and the presentation of 19 recommendations from the Fort Worth Data Center & Infrastructure Commission, a body appointed by the council in August.
According to Fort Worth Report, council members had already voted unanimously in August to begin the moratorium process, but the law requires two public hearings and two separate council votes before a pause can take effect. If the council approves the plan by a three‑fourths majority, the moratorium would begin on Feb. 23, 2027, and run for 90 days, automatically ending on May 24, 2027 unless extended.
The commission’s recommendations, highlighted by Fox 4, focus on four key areas: electricity, water use, land‑use impacts, and economic effects. Notable proposals include requiring closed‑loop cooling systems that recirculate water, increasing the minimum distance between data centers and homes from 50 feet to 350 feet, and enforcing stricter noise limits. The commission also suggested a pilot study of low‑frequency noise and greater transparency on water and electricity consumption.
Residents voiced strong support for the pause. CBS News quoted Ellis Maxwell, who lives a mile from a proposed site, saying the moratorium is needed to protect quality of life and the environment. Julie Waters, founder of Texans United Against Data Centers, told the council, “Two months is not enough time to consider all of the issues involved with a data center.” Only one speaker, David Martinez, opposed the plan, arguing that artificial‑intelligence innovation should not be stifled.
City officials emphasized that the moratorium would not affect projects already approved and permitted, such as the $10 billion data‑center development led by Black Mountain Energy in southeast Fort Worth. Existing sites would continue construction while new proposals would be barred.
State‑level actions could intersect with the local effort. Governor Greg Abbott has directed state agencies to halt permitting for new data centers and to audit projects seeking grid connections, as noted by Fort Worth Report. Meanwhile, Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat who defeated Abbott in the recent midterm, pledged a statewide moratorium until the Legislature meets in January, and she plans to ban data‑center approvals until protective laws pass.
Legislative proposals are already emerging. State Rep. Salman Bhojani filed a bill requiring developers to register projects with local governments and disclose water and electricity usage. Incoming Rep. Armin Mizani introduced legislation that would require city approval for data centers within municipal limits and county approval for those in unincorporated areas. Tarrant County Commissioner Matt Krause announced a resolution to end tax abatements for data centers, with a vote expected on Nov. 17.
What’s next: The second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2027. If the council votes in favor of the moratorium at that time, the earliest implementation date would be Feb. 23, 2027, giving the city a 90‑day window to refine zoning and development codes before any new data‑center construction can proceed.
Sources: fortworthreport.org, fox4news.com, cbsnews.com
