Project News / Data Center
Brownsville’s proposed 90-day data center moratorium reaches final reading
The proposed 90-day pause would cover applications in Brownsville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The final vote outcome remains unverified.
Brownsville’s City Commission scheduled a second and final reading on November 4 for a proposed 90-day data center moratorium. Commissioners approved Ordinance No. 2026-1826 on first reading on October 7, following the third public hearing. The city says final passage requires a three-fourths vote.
The ordinance would temporarily pause the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for high-intensity data processing facilities within Brownsville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. That geographic scope matters for proposed sites near the city boundary, where developers may be relying on a municipal application or review.
Brownsville intends to use the proposed pause to study how data center development could affect infrastructure, natural resources, public health and quality of life. The period would also give the city time to develop rules for future projects. The ordinance addresses the handling of applications during the proposed window, with the impact on an individual development depending on its location and application status.
If adopted on the proposed schedule, the pause would take effect November 5 and run through February 3, 2027. Developers preparing applications would need to account for that window when planning submissions and review schedules. The outcome of the November 4 vote remained unverified at the time of this roundup.
