The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 approved an urgency ordinance that bars the city from issuing any approvals or authorizations for data centers for 45 days. The measure, Board File No. 261021, was adopted under California Government Code Section 65858. Bloomberg Government reported that the board approved it unanimously. The Planning Department lists it as Ordinance No. 215-26 (case 2026-008443PCA), effective Oct. 16, 2026 and expiring Nov. 30, 2026.

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced the ordinance, with Supervisors Connie Chan, Jackie Fielder and Chyanne Chen as co-sponsors. As of Oct. 20, the moratorium is in force. The Planning Department says interim controls carry the full weight of law until they expire or the board ends them.

What the ordinance does

The measure is an interim zoning control rather than a rewrite of the city's permanent Planning Code. According to the board's revised legislative digest, a Section 65858 moratorium takes the form of an urgency ordinance with a single reading and requires a four-fifths vote of the board. The ordinance's findings cite the "current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or welfare" that the digest says could result from approving more data centers without a broader legislative scheme.

The ordinance defines a data center as a facility, or part of one, that houses computing infrastructure, including processors, servers, storage, networking equipment and associated power and cooling systems, primarily to process, store or distribute electronic data. The digest says that definition is based on SB 887, state legislation by Sen. Padilla. Under existing city code, data centers fall under the "Internet Service Exchange" use, a category originally adopted in 2001 that requires Conditional Use authorization citywide. Walton's Sept. 11 announcement made the same point, saying the city's data center rules date to 2001.

The board's Land Use and Transportation Committee amended the measure on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, the day before the full board vote. The amendments exempt data centers that are accessory to other permitted uses, along with repair and maintenance work on existing data centers that does not increase their size or capacity. All other data center approvals are paused citywide.

Projects affected

Mission Local reported that the moratorium pauses the expansion of NOVVA's 7.6-acre data center at 400 Paul Ave. in Bayview, an expansion it said was planned to increase output from 9 megawatts to 36 megawatts by 2028. The outlet also reported that permits have been filed for an additional 160,000-square-foot data center at 1215 Michigan St. in Dogpatch, where construction has not started.

Walton's announcement said the data centers approved in the city so far have been concentrated in Bayview. Bloomberg Government reported that the sponsors described Bayview-Hunters Point as "already overburdened with air pollution and environmental justice concerns," and that San Francisco "doesn't have a comprehensive tally of its data centers."

What sponsors said

Walton's Sept. 11 release described the measure as an urgent ordinance for a 45-day interim zoning moratorium and scheduled a press event on the City Hall steps for Monday, Sept. 14. The release also cited the water and energy use of data centers. After the vote, Mission Local reported that Walton said, "We need to know what these impacts are," and, "Until we know what that is, it needs to stop."

Walton's release pointed to Monterey Park, which moved from an interim moratorium to a permanent data center ban in May. Bloomberg Government's headline described San Francisco as the "Hometown of AI."

How long the pause can last

The digest says the prohibition stays in effect for 45 days unless it is extended under Section 65858 or permanent controls are adopted, and the Planning Department's listing says the end date "may be extended." Mission Local reported that the moratorium could be extended up to 22 months if data centers are found to have a significant environmental impact, or could lead to permanent controls. Bloomberg Government described the possible extension as roughly two years.

What Happens Next

During the 45-day period, the Planning Department will study the effects of data centers on water, energy, air quality, land use and the surrounding community, and will hold a hearing at the end of the period to present its findings, Mission Local reported. No date for that hearing, or for any board vote on an extension or permanent controls, is on the record yet. Until the board acts, the interim control runs to its listed expiration and the city cannot issue approvals for non-exempt data center projects.

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