Newport is hitting the brakes on data center development.
The Newport Town Council has approved a temporary moratorium on all new data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations. The freeze will remain in place for at least one year and applies to both the town and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Town leaders say the pause is necessary because the current development ordinance lacks specific rules or infrastructure standards for these massive facilities. Over the next 12 months, officials will study potential environmental and utility impacts while rewriting the town's development codes.
Leaders said this is a temporary planning pause and not a permanent ban on the technology.
