Council unanimously approves moratorium through Dec. 31 as officials study water, power and zoning impacts before any major project reaches the city.
EDMOND — Edmond city leaders have voted to temporarily halt consideration of new data center projects through the end of the year, giving staff time to develop regulations for an industry that has become increasingly controversial as artificial intelligence drives demand for new computing infrastructure.
The Edmond City Council unanimously approved a moratorium Monday on rezoning requests and building permits related to data centers through Dec. 31, despite the fact that no company has submitted a proposal to build one in the city.
City officials said the move is intended to ensure Edmond has a regulatory framework in place before a project arrives.
“The impact of data centers relative to water usage, electrical usage, noise pollution, light pollution, infrastructure adequacy, water and air quality, and various other potential issues are yet to be determined,” Planning Director Ken Bryan wrote in a report to the council.
The action places Edmond among a growing number of Oklahoma communities grappling with the opportunities and challenges presented by large-scale data centers, which require substantial electric power and, in some cases, significant water resources.
Ward 2 Councilman Barry Moore, who helped bring the issue before the council, said he wanted the city to avoid being caught unprepared.
“I worry about these things,” Moore said. “I’ve seen what it’s done in other communities. It’s torn them apart. It’s divided them — anger — and I don’t want that happening in Edmond.”
Ward 1 Councilwoman Maggie Murdock Nichols, who joined Moore in advancing the moratorium, said city leaders should take time to determine how data centers would fit within Edmond’s long-term plans.
“I don’t have any interest in entertaining a data center,” Murdock Nichols said. “We need to look at our process and make sure that our citizens are protected.”
The discussion revealed differing views among city leaders about what role data centers might eventually play in Edmond’s future.
Ward 4 Councilman Phil Fraim cautioned against treating all data centers the same, noting that smaller facilities already operate in the city and that technology businesses increasingly depend on such infrastructure.
“We all love to go to ChatGPT, Google, even facial recognition to open apps on our phone,” Fraim said. “That’s called AI. It all goes through a data center.”
Fraim argued Edmond should carefully weigh potential economic benefits against infrastructure demands rather than permanently closing the door on future projects.
Mayor Mark Nash echoed that view, saying the city needs time to determine what types of projects it would and would not be willing to accept.
“If we have a business that comes to us and wants to move to our city, and we outlaw everything, we’re going to lose out,” Nash said.
Residents packed council chambers Monday to voice concerns about water use, electrical demand, noise and potential environmental effects associated with large-scale data centers, while others argued the facilities could provide tax revenue and economic benefits if properly regulated.
Under the timeline adopted by the city, staff will spend the coming months developing definitions for various types of data centers, identifying appropriate zoning districts, consulting industry experts and studying lessons learned from other communities.
Officials are expected to provide an initial update within two months, present draft recommendations within three months and bring proposed code changes forward before the moratorium expires at year’s end.
For now, Edmond officials say the goal is not to decide whether data centers should be allowed, but to determine what rules should govern them if and when a proposal arrives.
