Fort Worth advances proposed data center moratorium following late-night public hearing
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously overnight to initiate a proposed 90-day moratorium on new data center construction following a marathon meeting marked by hours of fiery public comment and a demonstration by local community groups.
The vote, which stretched past midnight into Wednesday morning, marks the city's first formal step toward regulating the rapidly growing sector. If ultimately approved following future public hearings, the temporary freeze would not take effect until next year.
Fort Worth Data Center Debate
What we know:
The move follows a push initiated in July by five council members seeking time to refine development rules. It also aligns with broader state scrutiny: Gov. Greg Abbott recently issued a statewide pause on new data center approvals to allow power grid managers to conduct audits—a directive Abbott defended following criticism from former President Donald Trump.
In addition to advancing the local moratorium, council members approved the creation of a Data Center and Infrastructure Committee tasked with assessing the impact of facilities on local communities over the coming months. The panel will include at least three community members, though some residents voiced concern during the meeting that a 90-day window may not provide enough time for thorough research.
A third measure passed by the council updates city codes to mirror state directives, requiring future data center developers to demonstrate state grid approval before applying to build within city limits.
What they're saying:
Dozens of residents registered to speak during the meeting, with a majority backing the freeze and the new oversight committee. Prior to the session, community leaders and advocacy groups, including the 2871 Coalition, held a news conference outside City Hall demanding a stronger public voice in local zoning decisions.
"We're the ones who have to deal with the infrastructure strain, the neighborhood impact, the physical consequences," said Annie Zadeh, executive director for Community Design Fort Worth. "Asking for time to evaluate isn't defiance, it's stewardship."
Krista Erbe, a community organizer with the 2871 Coalition, emphasized that residents are not opposed to growth itself. "We are pro-development done with the community, not around it," Erbe said. "Residents across the city want the same thing: a seat at the table and a real voice in the decisions that shape where we live."
Public speakers inside the council chamber echoed those concerns, pointing to the rapid, quiet expansion of industrial-scale tech facilities into residential areas.
"These are the same companies that shrank a room-size computer down to the device on your wrist," one resident told council members. "They can figure out how to be a decent neighbor, but haven't we learned by now that they don't care to be one?"
City leaders acknowledged the rising tension between neighborhood groups and technology developers.
"I want to be clear: data centers are tricky because they are a heavy industrial use that looks like an office building, so they have snuck in adjacent to our neighborhoods — not just in Fort Worth, but across the state and across the country — in a stealth way that has made a tremendous amount of distrust," said District 9 Councilmember Elizabeth Beck. "Know that you were heard, whether you feel that or not."
What's next:
Fort Worth currently has four operating data centers, with at least four more in development. Officials noted that existing sites and projects already moving through the application pipeline would be exempt from the moratorium if the policy is formally adopted next year.
The Source: FOX 4's Amelia Jones gathered information for this story from the Fort Worth City Council meeting and a news conference held by moratorium supporters.