San Francisco data center moratorium: what the 45-day pause covers, why the city passed it and what comes next

San Francisco's data center moratorium is now law. On October 6, 2026, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an urgency ordinance that stops the city from approving new or expanded data centers for 45 days. Mayor Daniel Lurie signed it on October 16, the last day he had to act, the San Francisco Standard reported. The city that's home to OpenAI and Anthropic is pausing the buildings that AI datacenters depend on while it works out what rules to write.

This story is based on the Board of Supervisors' legislative file for the ordinance (File No. 261021) and its legislative digest, the board's draft minutes for October 6, California Government Code Section 65858, and reporting by the San Francisco Standard, Mission Local, KQED, Bay City News via NBC Bay Area, KTVU, Bloomberg Government and The Next Web, checked October 18, 2026.

The short version

• What: "Planning Code - Interim Zoning Moratorium for Data Centers," File No. 261021, an urgency ordinance.
• Who: written by District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, co-sponsored by Supervisors Connie Chan, Jackie Fielder and Chyanne Chen.
• Votes: passed 11-0 on October 6, according to the board's draft minutes; it needed nine votes. Lurie signed it on October 16, and the city lists it as Ordinance No. 215-26.
• Effect: the city can't issue "any approvals or authorizations for Data Centers," citywide.
• How long: 45 days, extendable to about two years under state law.
• Exempt: data centers that are accessory to another use, such as an office's own server room, and repairs that don't add size or capacity.

What does the San Francisco data center moratorium ban?

According to the legislative digest, the ordinance would "prohibit the City from issuing any approvals or authorizations for Data Centers" anywhere in San Francisco. It defines a data center as "a facility, or part of a facility, that houses computing infrastructure," with no minimum size or power draw. The digest says the definitions are based on S.B. 887, California state legislation sponsored by Senator Padilla.

The digest lists two exemptions:

• data centers that are "accessory uses to other principally or conditionally permitted uses." Bay City News reported that Supervisor Matt Dorsey proposed the amendment to exempt server rooms that businesses use only for their own on-site operations.
• repair and maintenance of existing data centers that "does not increase the size or capacity of those Data Centers."

San Francisco's planning code has no stand-alone data center category. The digest notes that data centers fall under "Internet Service Exchange" uses, a definition first adopted in 2001, which already need conditional use authorization.

How long will the moratorium last?

The ordinance runs 45 days "unless extended." It was adopted under California Government Code Section 65858, which lets a city pass an interim zoning ordinance while it studies permanent rules:

1. First 45 days: adoption needs a four-fifths vote.
2. First extension: after notice and a public hearing, up to 10 months and 15 days, again by a four-fifths vote.
3. Second extension: up to one more year. The law allows no more than two extensions.

That's about two years in total, which is why the San Francisco Standard and Mission Local reported it could be extended by up to 22 months. Mission Local reported that a longer pause depends on whether significant environmental impacts are found, or it could be replaced with permanent rules. City leaders will hold a hearing on the Planning Department's findings by November, the Standard reported.

Reports differ on when the clock started. The board's draft minutes say the ordinance was "immediately passed on first reading," as state law allows for urgency ordinances, and the digest says it takes effect "under the same terms as a Board of Supervisors resolution." Mission Local, Bay City News and Bloomberg Government reported the pause took effect immediately on October 6. The San Francisco Standard reported that it would take effect 10 days after passage unless the mayor acted sooner. The city hasn't published an end date.

Why did San Francisco pass it?

The digest cites the "explosive interest in Data Centers" and their potential energy, environmental and land-use impacts. It finds a "current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare," the standard Section 65858 requires.

Walton said the study will cover "energy, water, air quality, land use, and community impacts." His district includes Bayview-Hunters Point, which the sponsors described as "already overburdened with air pollution and environmental justice concerns," Bloomberg Government reported. Walton also said the city's data center rules hadn't been updated since 2001, according to his September press release as quoted by KQED.

Nobody seems to know how many data centers San Francisco has. The Standard reported in September that the Planning Department didn't know. Data Center Map lists at least six, the Standard says, while KQED put the number at 12.

Lurie's statement didn't mention data centers by name. He said the city will "develop a thoughtful, responsible framework" during the pause.

Which projects are affected?

Two proposals are on hold, according to Mission Local and The Next Web:

• NOVVA, 400 Paul Ave., Bayview: a 7.6-acre site that planned to grow from 9 to 36 megawatts by 2028.
• 1215 Michigan St., Dogpatch: a proposed 160,000-square-foot data center that had filed for permits but hadn't started building, Mission Local reported. The Next Web put it at 49.5 MW. The Standard reported that a lobbyist for the private equity firm marketing the site met two of Lurie's policy chiefs in August.

Are other cities banning data centers?

San Francisco isn't alone, even in the Bay Area:

• Oakland: approved its own moratorium on October 6, the Standard reported.
• Oakley, Richmond and Gilroy: already have moratoriums, and Hayward is considering one, per the Standard.
• Santa Clara: home to 56 data centers, it is starting a year-long review of their environmental, water and power impacts, KTVU reported.
• Los Angeles County: supervisors received a proposal for a permanent ban on "hyperscale" data centers, per KTVU.
• Monterey Park: moved from an interim moratorium to a permanent ban in May, according to Walton's office as quoted by KQED.

The same tension shows up abroad. Activists in Andhra Pradesh want a statewide moratorium while Google builds its Visakhapatnam AI hub (our report). The power limits behind the gigawatt projects are covered in our datacenter race tracker, and the financing strain in our report on banks offloading datacenter debt.

What's confirmed, reported and uncertain

• Confirmed (legislative file, digest, draft minutes, state law):
  • the file number, title and sponsors
  • the 11-0 vote on October 6 and the mayor's approval on October 16 (Ordinance No. 215-26)
  • the citywide ban on approvals
  • the definition and the two exemptions
  • the 45-day term and the extension rules
• Reported:
  • that October 16 was the last day Lurie could act, and his statement (the Standard)
  • the affected projects (Mission Local, The Next Web)
  • the other cities' actions (the Standard, KTVU, KQED)
• Uncertain:
  • the exact start and end dates
  • whether the board will extend the pause
  • how many data centers San Francisco has. Reported counts range from at least six to 12.
  • the Dogpatch project's capacity, which only The Next Web has reported