During today’s City Council Work Session, Fort Worth city staff will present updated proposals for regulating data centers, incorporate recent feedback from residents, and outline the official legal steps and timeline for enacting a temporary moratorium on new applications.
The presentation details stricter standards—such as a total ban on cryptocurrency mining, 250-foot building setbacks from residential areas, 300-foot generator buffers, closed-loop water cooling systems, and enhanced noise limits capped at no more than 5 dBA above existing ambient levels. Council members will also review tightened incentive guidelines, which would require projects to invest a minimum of $500 million and secure grid interconnectivity progress before receiving tax abatements.
This briefing is taking place because of intense community opposition over the environmental, power, water, and noise impacts of incoming data centers. Today's session serves as the preliminary briefing so the council can formally vote on August 11 to initiate the legal moratorium process required under Texas state law.
What Happens Next?
- August 11, 2026: City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to officially start the legal process required by Texas state law to enact a formal moratorium on new applications.
- Fall/Winter 2026: If initiated, public hearings will take place over the autumn, leading up to a final vote on the moratorium by December.
(Note: This local session also comes right after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered ERCOT and the PUC to halt new grid connections statewide pending audits of data center water, power, and tax impacts.)
Up for consideration: tougher new regulations and maybe a moratorium
Up for consideration: tougher new regulations and maybe a moratorium
