August 3, 2026
43 entries published that day, the everything feed by the day each row entered the record; the timeline lists milestones alone, by the day they happened. Each is one sourced row of the record: what happened, where, and where it came from. Nothing here is an article and nothing is unapproved.
- Congress Bill event
H. Res. 1471, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every American and community impacted by the construction or operation of an artificial intelligence data center should have the right to transparency and local autonomy.. H.R. 1471 was introduced in the House. 2026-08-03. Congress primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- Congress Bill event
H. Res. 1471, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every American and community impacted by the construction or operation of an artificial intelligence data center should have the right to transparency and local autonomy.. H.R. 1471 went to committee in the House. 2026-08-03. Congress primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- Congress Bill event
H.R. 10041, Smart Data Center Policy Act. H.B. 10041 was introduced in the House. 2026-08-03. Congress primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- Congress Bill event
H.R. 10041, Smart Data Center Policy Act. H.B. 10041 went to committee in the House. 2026-08-03. Congress primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- California Bill event
A.B. 1577, Data centers: reporting.. A.B. 1577 went to committee in the Senate. 2026-08-03. California Legislature primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- California Bill event
A.B. 2383, Electricity: data centers.. A.B. 2383 went to committee in the Senate. 2026-08-03. California Legislature primary source (dated by the legislature's own record of the action)
- Florida Jurisdiction event Moratorium
Palmetto. Commissioners directed attorneys Aug. 3 to draft temporary halt to data center development tbbwmag.com local outlet (content date)
- Michigan Jurisdiction event Moratorium adopted
Marshall. Marshall City Council approved a one year moratorium on new data center development unanimously on August 3 wwmt.com local outlet (content date)
- Michigan Jurisdiction event Moratorium adopted
Marshall. Marshall City Council approved a one year moratorium on new data center developments on Aug. 3 michiganadvance.com local outlet (content date)
- Oregon Jurisdiction event Moratorium
Marion County. Salem City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting to initiate a moratorium on new data center applications, with a 45 day state notice and a public hearing still required before it takes effect. salemreporter.com local outlet (content date)
- Texas Jurisdiction event Moratorium
Texas. Governor Abbott paused ERCOT Batch Zero on August 3, 2026 to audit grid usage. desmoinesregister.com local outlet (content date)
- Texas Jurisdiction event
Texas. Abbott ordered a comprehensive data center audit by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on August 3 dallasexpress.com local outlet Also reported by The Guardian national outlet , spectrumlocalnews.com local outlet (3 reports). (content date)
- Yellowstone County, MT Reference figure
KTVQ. Solberg had collected 7,706 signatures by Aug. 3 in compressed timeline and would have struggled to meet initially stated deadline of Aug. 12: 7,706 signatures. Yellowstone County, MT, 2026. KTVQ local outlet (content date)
- Georgia Statement
Effingham County Industrial Development Authority. OpenAI's property tax abatement was announced as 50 percent for 15 years; county records obtained by WTOC show a 37.5 percent reduction Said August 3, 2026, Savannah Morning News. Savannah Morning News local outlet (paraphrased; content date; reported from elsewhere)
- Georgia Timeline entry
OpenAI Effingham County Data Center. Project planned for phased development between 2028 and 2032 The record reads approved, August 3, 2026. Savannah Morning News local outlet (content date)
- Georgia Timeline entry
OpenAI Effingham County Data Center. 1,440 acre data center campus with four buildings and combined footprint of 720,000 square feet The record reads approved, August 3, 2026. Savannah Morning News local outlet (content date)
- Georgia Timeline entry
OpenAI Effingham County Data Center. Effingham County Industrial Development Authority approved incentive package for OpenAI data center on July 21, 2026 The record reads approved, August 3, 2026. Savannah Morning News local outlet (content date)
- Oregon Timeline entry
Oakline at Mill Creek. Salem City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting to initiate a moratorium on new data center applications. The record reads waiting on permits, August 3, 2026. Salem Reporter local outlet (content date)
- Alabama News item
Data centers emerge as top Alabama election issue as community concerns grow - Alabama Reflector. Data centers have become a top election issue in Alabama as community concerns about the projects grow. The topic reflects statewide public debate over data center policy. Alabama Reflector, 2026-08-03. Alabama Reflector local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Arkansas News item
Little Rock director Webb says city should pause data center permits for 18 months, not just 6 - arkansasonline.com. Little Rock Director Webb advocated for an 18 month pause on data center permits instead of the proposed 6 month pause. The longer moratorium would delay permitting for all proposed data centers in the city. arkansasonline.com, 2026-08-03. arkansasonline.com local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Florida News item
Lakeland city officials approve vote on data center moratorium - spectrumlocalnews.com. Lakeland city officials approved a vote on a data center moratorium. This is a jurisdiction level action to restrict data center development. spectrumlocalnews.com, 2026-08-03. spectrumlocalnews.com local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Georgia News item
OpenAI, Effingham IDA talk revenue, jobs for data center | Exclusive. Effingham County Industrial Development Authority approves 50% property tax abatement for 15 years; OpenAI pledges $20 billion investment and 1,000 full time jobs. Savannah Morning News, 2026-08-03. Savannah Morning News local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Iowa News item
New coalition pushes ‘responsible’ data center growth amid Iowa pushback - Corridor Business Journal. A new coalition is promoting responsible data center growth in response to community opposition in Iowa. The statement reflects advocacy for balanced data center development amid local pushback. Corridor Business Journal, 2026-08-03. Corridor Business Journal local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Illinois News item
In data center hubs Aurora and DeKalb, two different approaches to setting restrictions - WGLT. Aurora and DeKalb, Illinois data center hubs take different regulatory approaches to restrict or govern data center development. WGLT, 2026-08-03. WGLT local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Minnesota News item
Data center proposed for former Star Tribune site sparks debate in Minneapolis - FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. A data center is proposed for the former Star Tribune site in Minneapolis and sparks community debate. The project is in early proposal stages with local controversy. FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, 2026-08-03. FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Nevada News item
No land? No problem: Why many Nevada data centers don't own the land they're asking to develop - The Nevada Independent. Many Nevada data center developers are proposing projects on land they do not own. The practice raises questions about acquisition and development authority. The Nevada Independent, 2026-08-03. The Nevada Independent local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Oregon News item
Salem City Council votes to pause data center development - KATU. Salem City Council voted unanimously to move forward on a 60 or 120 day moratorium on data center development. The vote followed a contentious meeting with four hours of public comment opposing the Verrus Oakline at Mill Creek project. KATU, 2026-08-03. KATU local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Oregon News item
Oregon governor blocks data center development, stops land sale - Data Center Dynamics. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek directed the state to terminate its contract to sell 32 acres in Salem to Verrus for a data center project. The governor said growth must align with Oregon's values around affordability, responsible development, and stewardship of public resources. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-08-03. Data Center Dynamics trade press (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Tennessee News item
Contractor says Musk companies owe him $600M for Memphis area data center work - Action News 5. CEO of Darana Hybrid says Musk companies owe over 600 million dollars for Memphis area data center construction work and filed liens. Action News 5, 2026-08-03. Action News 5 local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Tennessee News item
Nashville Has Begun Regulating Data Centers. Now the Energy Conversation Must Catch Up. - Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Nashville Metro Council approved data center zoning regulations and temporary moratorium on July 21, setting renewable energy and operational standards. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 2026-08-03. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Texas News item
Texas governor puts data center grid approvals on hold - E&E News by POLITICO. Texas Governor Abbott halts data center grid approvals pending comprehensive audit of energy and water usage by PUCT and ERCOT. E&E News by POLITICO, 2026-08-03. E&E News by POLITICO national outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Texas News item
Gov. Greg Abbott pauses new data centers until ERCOT, PUCT audit energy, water usage - Houston Public Media. Texas Governor Greg Abbott directs state power regulators to audit data centers' energy and water usage before approving grid connections. Houston Public Media, 2026-08-03. Houston Public Media local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Texas News item
New Texas data center projects frozen until state audits them - The Texas Tribune. Texas Governor Abbott announced moratorium on data center approvals, ordering regulators to audit all proposed facilities seeking grid connections. The Texas Tribune, 2026-08-03. The Texas Tribune local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Texas News item
NVIDIA’s Reported $50B Lease and the Nuclear-Powered AI Factory. Hut 8's Beacon Point campus in Texas has been reportedly leased by NVIDIA under a deal potentially valued at $50.2 billion if all renewal options are exercised, combining a 1 GW facility with dedicated power and integrated infrastructure. A separate partnership between Aalo Atomics and Crusoe aims to demonstrate nuclear powered AI data centers by 2027. Data Center Frontier, 2026-08-03. Data Center Frontier trade press (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Utah News item
O'Leary, Box Elder County ask for dismissal of lawsuit over citizen referendum. Attorneys for Box Elder County and Kevin O'Leary asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by residents challenging a rejected citizen referendum on the Stratos data center. The defendants argued the county's approvals were administrative actions not subject to voter review. FOX 13 News Utah, 2026-08-03. FOX 13 News Utah local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Utah News item
‘The Elephant in the Desert’ - The University of Utah. University of Utah's Wilkes Center produced an interactive tool mapping data centers in Utah and analyzing their environmental impacts and policy options. The tool shows Utah has many operational facilities and notes a 500 megawatt data center proposed in Tooele County. The University of Utah, 2026-08-03. The University of Utah local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Virginia News item
Sturtevant on data center moratorium: Before Virginia approves another data center, it should decide whether more are justified - Cardinal News. Virginia legislator calls for statewide data center moratorium, citing grid strain and water constraints revealed by recent electrical fault and groundwater study. Cardinal News, 2026-08-03. Cardinal News local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Vermont News item
Scott’s veto reasoning doesn’t hold up - VTDigger. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott vetoed H.727, a strong data center regulation bill that passed the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. The veto was sustained by 52 Republican representatives, defeating the first comprehensive state law to regulate AI data center environmental and utility costs. VTDigger, 2026-08-03. VTDigger local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Wisconsin News item
American Transmission Co., We Energies Seek State Approval for Data Center Costs - Urban Milwaukee. American Transmission Co. and We Energies seek Wisconsin state approval for data center costs. Urban Milwaukee, 2026-08-03. Urban Milwaukee local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- Wisconsin News item
A $10 billion data center proposal vanished after a local official told the developer the process would have to unfold in public - wisconsinwatch.org. A Maryland developer proposed a $10 billion AI data center in Pacific, Wisconsin, but abandoned the project after a town official insisted it proceed publicly. The proposal would have been Wisconsin's third largest data center. wisconsinwatch.org, 2026-08-03. wisconsinwatch.org local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- West Virginia News item
As data center developers eye West Virginia, local communities feel overlooked - Louisville Public Media. West Virginia data center development accelerates despite state law limiting local regulatory authority and growing community concerns about environmental and quality of life impacts. Louisville Public Media, 2026-08-03. Louisville Public Media local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- West Virginia News item
Communities Have Questions As Data Center Development Underway, This West Virginia Morning - West Virginia Public Broadcasting. West Virginia state officials are promoting data center development as an emerging industry in the state. The report notes this marks a shift, as data center projects have not been prevalent in West Virginia until recently. West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 2026-08-03. West Virginia Public Broadcasting local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
- West Virginia News item
As Data Centers Eye W.Va., Local Communities Feel Overlooked - West Virginia Public Broadcasting. West Virginia data center projects are drawing attention from developers while local communities report feeling excluded from planning and benefit discussions. The situation reflects a broader pattern of unequal community engagement in data center siting. West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 2026-08-03. West Virginia Public Broadcasting local outlet (reported on this date) (reported on; the source's own date)
Bill data from LegiScan, licensed CC BY 4.0. The record chooses the bills, writes each stage in its own words and cites the legislature's own page for every bill.
A row's day is the day the event happened, or, where a source gives only its own publication date, that date. The same rows appear on the record pages they belong to; this page is the dated log of them. A row read in a tier 1 query feed is a lead, not an entry, and appears on its record page only.
