DeKalb County Data Center Moratorium
DeKalb County, DeKalb County, Georgia
CRITICAL RISK
Trajectory: Active moratorium extended (from 100-day initial to June 23, 2026); Moratorium vote escalated from 4-3 to unanimous; New restrictive text amendment under development with SLUP requirements, 500-foot setbacks, and 2,640-foot transit separation.
Last updated 2026-03-29
DeKalb County shut the door and locked it. A 100-day moratorium became a unanimous extension through June 2026. The draft text amendment requires 500-foot setbacks, 2,640-foot transit separation, and special land use permits for anything larger than a closet. Renew DeKalb Inc., the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and 75-100 residents who packed a November zoning meeting made sure of it.
Active moratorium blocks ALL data center applications — permits, rezonings, land disturbance, business licenses — through June 23, 2026.
The initial moratorium passed 4-3. The extension passed unanimously. The political direction is clear.
DeKalb had zero data center provisions in its zoning code before the moratorium. The county is writing regulations from scratch.
Draft text amendment (TA-25) establishes a 5-category classification system — the most granular DC regulatory framework proposed by any county in the index.
Dimension Breakdown
Four dimensions that determine entitlement feasibility.
Regulatory Risk
30 pts
Active moratorium in effect through June 23, 2026 (Ordinance 2025-1694). The moratorium prohibits acceptance of ALL applications relating to new data centers or expansion of existing data centers, including special land use permits, rezonings, land disturbance permits, building permits, and business licenses. DeKalb had no data center-specific provisions before the moratorium.
Score: 0/30. Active moratorium (Ordinance 2025-1694) prohibits all applications. Even after it expires, a new text amendment must be adopted before any application can be filed.
Infrastructure Readiness
25 pts
Insufficient data: no utility capacity data, interconnection queue information, or water capacity data was located for DeKalb County. Georgia Power service territory, but no DC-specific infrastructure assessment exists. Score adjusted to account for baseline infrastructure while acknowledging the moratorium makes infrastructure scoring largely academic.
Score: 0/25. No DC-specific infrastructure assessment exists. Georgia Power service territory, but the moratorium makes this dimension academic.
Opposition Density
25 pts
Organized, multi-group opposition with a documented track record of driving a moratorium. Named opposition group: Renew DeKalb Inc., led by Gina Mangham. The Atlanta chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation has also organized against data centers. 75-100 attended the November 2025 zoning meeting. Town halls drew calls for permanent bans.
Score: 2/25. Renew DeKalb Inc. (Gina Mangham) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation drove the moratorium. Town halls drew calls for permanent bans.
Approval Timeline
20 pts
No approval pathway currently exists. The moratorium blocks ALL applications through June 23, 2026. Even after the moratorium expires, the new text amendment must first be adopted (public hearing May 12, 2026, already deferred once). Once adopted, Major and Campus-scale data centers require SLUPs with full public hearings.
Score: 0/20. No pathway exists. Moratorium through June 2026, then text amendment adoption (public hearing May 12, already deferred once), then SLUP process.
Key Findings
What the record shows.
DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 on July 8, 2025 to approve a 100-day moratorium on new data center applications.
Decaturish: DeKalb County Commission Approves Data Center MoratoriumBoard voted unanimously on December 16, 2025 to extend the moratorium through June 23, 2026, escalating from the initial 4-3 vote.
Decaturish: DeKalb extends data center moratorium, defers regulationsDraft text amendment (TA-25) establishes 5-category classification system with SLUP requirements, 500-foot setbacks, and 2,640-foot transit separation for Major and Campus-scale data centers.
Engage DeKalb — Data Center Text Amendment pageDeKalb had no data center-specific provisions in its zoning ordinance before the moratorium.
DeKalb County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 27 — ZoningKey Officials
The decision-makers on record.
Commissioner Nicole Massiah
DeKalb County Commissioner
Documented Record
Stated at December 16, 2025 meeting: "I want to protect people first and foremost." Supported the moratorium extension despite voting no on the original July 2025 moratorium.
Documented position based on public record.
Opposition Profile
Who is organizing.
Renew DeKalb Inc., led by Gina Mangham — community advocacy group opposing data centers
Atlanta chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation — advocates for prohibiting data centers
75-100 people attended the November 20, 2025 zoning meeting opposing data centers
Town hall attendees called for permanent bans at December 10, 2025 meeting
Timeline
How it unfolded.
July 8, 2025
Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 to approve 100-day moratorium on new data center applications.
December 16, 2025
Board voted unanimously to extend moratorium through June 23, 2026.
January 27, 2026
Draft text amendment (TA-25) introduced with 5-category classification system.
March 24, 2026
Board deferred data center text amendment again, removing "campus" definition.
Known Risks
What could change.
Active risk factors documented in public record.
Active moratorium blocks ALL data center applications through June 23, 2026
No infrastructure assessment data available for DC-specific deployment
Organized multi-group opposition drove moratorium enactment
No approval pathway exists until moratorium expires and text amendment is adopted
Recommendation
CRITICAL RISK — Score 2/100
DeKalb County has an active moratorium blocking all data center applications through June 23, 2026. No approval pathway exists. Avoid committing budget until the moratorium expires and the text amendment framework is adopted.
Sources
Every claim cited.
Decaturish: DeKalb County Commission Approves Data Center Moratorium
secondaryDecaturish: DeKalb extends data center moratorium, defers regulations
primaryOrdinance 2025-1694 — Data Center Moratorium Extension (DeKalb County official PDF)
primaryDeKalb County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 27 — Zoning
primaryEngage DeKalb — Data Center Text Amendment page
secondaryRough Draft Atlanta: DeKalb County defers data center regulations until May
secondaryFOX 5 Atlanta: Activists warn proposed Ellenwood data center could create wasteland
secondaryDecaturish: Tensions flare at DeKalb zoning meeting about data centers
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Zoning posture, approval pathway, community risk, and comparable outcomes. Sourced and scored by close of day, not months.
