SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY — October 26, 2026. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has adopted an interim ordinance placing a 45-day moratorium on land-use approvals for new large data-center development in the unincorporated county. The October 7 action is meant to provide time to study how proposed artificial intelligence facilities might affect utilities, water supply and emergency services.

Why county officials are concerned

The county says large-scale AI facilities may place significant round-the-clock demands on electricity, cooling water and infrastructure. Planners are reviewing whether existing zoning, General Plan provisions, environmental safeguards and utility systems adequately address those impacts.

The action does not ban all data-center technology throughout California, apply automatically within independently governed cities or prohibit ordinary residents from using artificial intelligence tools. It also does not mean a particular development has been approved: the county said no large-scale AI data-center proposals were pending in unincorporated San Joaquin County when it announced the ordinance.

What happens after the pause?

During the moratorium the Community Development Department will study standards and seek stakeholder and public input. Any permanent zoning change would require a separate process. The 45-day duration describes the original temporary ordinance; an extension or subsequent action should be checked against newer Board records instead of presumed.

Primary source: San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, October 7, 2026.

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