San Francisco supervisors adopt 45-day data center moratorium

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors adopted a 45-day citywide interim zoning moratorium for data centers on Oct. 6. Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the measure; Supervisors Connie Chan, Jackie Fielder and Chyanne Chen are listed as co-sponsors.

The moratorium will pause city approvals for data-center facilities once it takes effect. At the research cutoff, the official legislative file placed the ordinance in the Mayor’s Office and left its final-action and enactment fields blank. The Board vote therefore should not be treated as an immediately effective permitting freeze.

The measure regulates physical data-center development, not AI software or companies. Its effect on AI infrastructure is indirect but concrete: once the ordinance takes effect, San Francisco would stop approving data-center facilities during the 45-day pause. The temporary measure does not create a permanent ban.

Walton introduced the measure on Sept. 15, according to the legislative history. The Land Use and Transportation Committee advanced it before it reached the full Board.

The official amended ordinance and legislative digest were unavailable during research, so the precise definition of a covered data center and any exemptions could not be confirmed. The official file also showed no mayoral approval, veto, effective date or enactment number at the cutoff.