Local and State Officials Respond to Concerns Over AI Data Center Expansion

Palm Beach County, Florida—home to President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate—passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction, according to a report published September 26, 2026. The moratorium was enacted amid stated concerns over environmental impact, noise pollution, and rising electric bills linked to data center energy demand. Separately, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's office issued a statement, referenced in a September 13, 2026 report, saying the state lacks legal authority to enact a statewide moratorium on AI data centers. In Oregon, the governor's office indicated that any statewide moratorium would require action by the state legislature rather than the governor alone. Oregon's state government is currently controlled by Democrats in both the governorship and both legislative chambers. According to the report, state legislators are working on related data center legislation intended for consideration in 2027. No specific numeric details—such as the number of affected data center projects, projected electric bill increases, or specific legislative bill text—were included in the available reporting for either state. The two situations remain distinct and unresolved in different ways: Palm Beach County's moratorium is already enacted and in effect for one year, while Oregon's response remains limited to a gubernatorial statement pending future legislative action. It is unresolved what specific legislation Oregon lawmakers are drafting, its scope, or whether it will pass before 2027. It is also unresolved what happens in Palm Beach County after the one-year moratorium expires, including whether it will be extended, allowed to lapse, or replaced with permanent regulation. The characterization of Oregon's pace of action as inadequate reflects one publisher's framing rather than a fact corroborated across sources.