By Ben Morgan
Tulsa city councilors voted unanimously on Wednesday to impose a moratorium on new data center construction inside city limits, a pause that could last through the end of the year.
The move, led by Councilor Laura Bellis, is meant to give the City Planning Office time to study whether hyperscale data centers are properly classified in the zoning code, especially given concerns about noise and other off‑site impacts.
Nineteen speakers urged the council to approve the moratorium, citing issues like low long‑term job creation.
The pause exempts the first two phases of Project Anthem, the only major data‑center project currently in the pipeline in Tulsa County.
Some councilors pushed for a shorter timeline to avoid signaling that Tulsa is “closed for business,” but ultimately agreed on a moratorium that ends Dec. 31 or earlier if zoning changes are adopted.
The Planning Office will provide updates every 60 days. Mayor Monroe Nichols will decide whether to sign the measure once it reaches his desk.
