Jackson Council Moves to Rescind Data Center Moratorium

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes is seeking to lift the city's six-month pause on hyperscale data center projects.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Data Centers

Isometric editorial illustration of gray server enclosures on a concrete pad behind a raised metal barrier gate, evoking a data center development pause. — Jackson's city council is weighing a move by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes to rescind the city's six-month moratorium on hyperscale data center permits and zoning changes. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Jackson keep its temporary ban on new data centers in place?

Jackson's city council approved a six-month moratorium on data centers in July, blocking most hyperscale data center permits and zoning changes for 183 days. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes now seeks to rescind the moratorium.

Why it matters

The moratorium shapes whether large data center developments can proceed in Jackson during the pause. The city's failure to publish the original ordinance has created uncertainty about when the restrictions actually end.

The moratorium passed on a 5-2 vote and covers 183 days, with a 30-day delay before taking effect. The city attorney's failure to publish the ordinance has left its final end date unclear.

The players

Kenneth Stokes

Kenneth Stokes is the Ward 3 member of the Jackson City Council who is seeking to rescind the data center moratorium.

Jackson City Council

The Jackson City Council is the legislative body of Mississippi's capital city that approved the six-month data center moratorium on a 5-2 vote.

The details

The moratorium applies to special use permits, conditional use permits, zoning amendments, building permits, and other zoning changes for hyperscale data centers across most of the city. The rescinding ordinance is listed under the introduction of ordinances tab on Tuesday's council agenda, meaning it likely will not be voted on unless council members suspend the rules.

July: Council approved the six-month data center moratorium.
February 12, 2027: Original expected end date of the moratorium.
Tuesday: Council agenda lists the proposed rescinding ordinance.

Roadmap

Jackson's six-month pause is part of a wave of local zoning moratoria on hyperscale data centers adopted by U.S. municipalities as facility buildouts accelerated. The effort to rescind it, combined with the unpublished ordinance, shows how local governments are still working out the rules for these projects.

Residents and businesses in Jackson will not see new hyperscale data center construction approved during the moratorium period. If the rescinding ordinance is not voted on, the pause will likely last longer than the originally expected February 12, 2027 end date.

The takeaway

Local zoning pauses can stretch well beyond their stated end dates when administrative steps like publishing an ordinance are missed. Residents tracking these decisions should watch council agendas and the city's published ordinance records closely.