Oldham County leaders keep data center moratorium in place as Fiscal Court debates next steps

Oldham County officials said an existing moratorium on certain data center development remains in effect after a Fiscal Court hearing that was described as tense by local media on August 19, 2026.

According to WAVE, county leadership is continuing efforts to establish regulations for future data center development, with the goal of replacing the moratorium with a structured approval and oversight process rather than leaving the issue unresolved.

The report said disagreement among Fiscal Court members persists over how the county should proceed, including questions about what regulatory approach should be used once the moratorium is no longer needed.

County leaders have indicated they are working toward defining the rules that would apply to future proposals, though the specific content of those proposed regulations was not detailed in the report.

The continued moratorium means the county’s current limits on data center activity continue to apply while the regulatory process plays out, keeping uncertainty for developers and planning officials who would otherwise be able to submit projects under an agreed framework.

WAVE reported that the Fiscal Court hearing involved strained discussion, but did not provide additional case-specific details in its published summary beyond the fact that the moratorium was retained and that members are not fully aligned on the path forward.

As Oldham County moves from a temporary restriction to longer-term regulation, the next steps will depend on how Fiscal Court members converge on the county’s approach to permitting, compliance, and the standards that would govern future data center development.