Fort Worth data center moratorium process moves toward August council action
Fort Worth is revising proposed data center rules and could begin a temporary moratorium process in August, but no moratorium is in effect.
Fort Worth is moving toward two August City Council milestones on data center regulation, including a planned step toward a possible temporary pause on new development applications. No moratorium is in effect, and the city has not finalized new data center standards.
What happened July 8
The Fort Worth Zoning Commission voted 7-4 on July 8 to deny the current proposed data center zoning ordinance. Commissioners returned the issue to City Council rather than ending the broader regulatory process.
The vote followed public discussion about how large data centers should fit into Fort Worth neighborhoods and what standards should apply to their operation. KERA News reported that the proposed framework included issues such as setbacks, noise and cooling systems, along with concerns raised by residents and commissioners.
What the city is revising
City staff are revising the proposed regulations in response to public feedback. The potential controls involve where data centers may be located, setbacks from nearby properties, noise, water use and cooling equipment.
Those provisions remain proposed. The revised ordinance has not received final approval, and Fort Worth has not adopted permanent data center standards through this process.
What happens in August
A City Council work-session update is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026. It is expected to provide the next public update on the regulatory revisions and the city’s approach to the issue.
The city also plans to bring an ordinance to the Aug. 11, 2026, council meeting to begin the legal process for a possible temporary moratorium. Beginning that process would not be the same as adopting a moratorium. The August action would start the required process rather than immediately create a final pause on applications.
If the August action is approved, final council consideration of the possible moratorium is not expected until December 2026. That timing is planned, not guaranteed, and could change as the proposal moves through the process.
What remains undecided
Until a moratorium is formally adopted, Fort Worth does not have a blanket pause on new data center applications. Any future restriction would depend on the legal language approved by the council and the effective date established through the process.
Residents, property owners, developers and others following local growth should watch the city’s data center regulations page, council agenda materials and future public hearings. The next key milestones are the Aug. 4 work-session update and the planned Aug. 11 council action.
The city-controlled process is focused on zoning and development standards. Broader questions involving water systems, electric-grid capacity and regional infrastructure may involve state, regional or other authorities and should not be assumed to be resolved by a Fort Worth ordinance.
Sources
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