The Oakland City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Nov. 10, to extend the city’s moratorium on data centers through Oct. 5, 2027, NBC Bay Area reported.
The original 45-day moratorium had been scheduled to expire Nov. 20. KTVU reported that the pause on approvals for new artificial-intelligence data center projects will now run until next October, and that city leaders said the added time will allow staff to study the facilities’ effects and consider new regulations. District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife told NBC Bay Area the extension is meant to give staff “adequate” time to return “with some firm guidelines.”
KTVU said Oakland has already received requests from companies seeking to build data centers, including a proposal discussed for a downtown office building, and that those plans are now on hold. The vote drew a standing ovation in City Hall, NBC Bay Area reported. Related: Tuesday’s vote preview.