Data center restrictions tracker · Alabama

Data center moratoriums and restrictions in Alabama (2026)

Data snapshot 2026-08-15 · part of Pricing the Fear of Data Centers

As of August 15, 2026, this tracker documents 14 local government actions on data centers in Alabama, across 13 jurisdictions in 6 counties: 9 moratoria, 4 zoning exclusions, and 1 conditions ordinance. By status: 6 in force, 5 enacted, and 3 pending.

There is no statewide restriction, incentive rollback, or large-load tariff on record for Alabama in this snapshot.

Data centers in Alabama used about 1.7 TWh of electricity in 2024; EPRI, Powering Intelligence 2026 (state-level dashboard) projects 5.3 TWh in its 2030, EPRI medium scenario.

Local actions in Alabama

Every documented local action in Alabama in the August 15, 2026 snapshot. Documented actions, not a census.
JurisdictionCountyActionStatusDate
BrookwoodTuscaloosa CountyZoning exclusionpendingAugust 11, 2026
FairfieldJefferson CountyMoratoriumin forceJuly 27, 2026
BessemerJefferson CountyZoning exclusionenactedJuly 13, 2026
Cullman City CouncilCullman CountyMoratoriumenactedJune 22, 2026
HomewoodJefferson CountyMoratoriumin forceJune 22, 2026
Fort PayneDeKalb CountyMoratoriumin forceJune 16, 2026
LeedsJefferson CountyMoratoriumin forceJune 8, 2026
CullmanCullman CountyMoratoriumin forceJune 2026
HooverJefferson CountyConditions ordinanceenactedMay 11, 2026
BessemerJefferson CountyZoning exclusionenactedApril 21, 2026
BirminghamJefferson CountyMoratoriumin forceMarch 3, 2026
ColumbianaShelby CountyZoning exclusionenactedFebruary 17, 2026
HueytownJefferson CountyMoratoriumpendingundated
PrichardMobile CountyMoratoriumpendingundated

What one campus pays a local government

The parent piece's calculator puts a single large campus at $2M to $90M a year in local revenue, depending on the tax regime and abatements. The reference campus (Project Blue scale: $3.6B of capital, 286 MW) pays about $157M to local governments over 10 years. Permanent jobs run around 50 per facility.

Tax regimeReference caseAnnual local revenue, lowAnnual local revenue, high
Aggressive abatementMorrow County OR (enterprise zone)$2M$3M
Partial abatementGeorgia audit representative campus / El Paso Meta$27.8M$56M
Unabated equipment taxVirginia-style rates (Loudoun is the ceiling)$50M$90M

Run your own numbers in the calculator on the parent piece. Jurisdictions in Alabama that say no give up this revenue, not the jobs.

Sources

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