San Diego's leaders are fighting a 400-megawatt data center planned on Navy land, an Alabama county is sued over a $1.15 billion tax break, Ohio's top court sides with a village moratorium, and Florida regulators push back on Duke Energy's data center tariff. Here's what happened across U.S. data centers:
🏘️ COMMUNITY — San Diego Revolts Over 400MW Data Center Planned on Navy Land. Officials rallied at City Hall and the mayor paused data center construction, but the project sits on federal land. Developer Manchester Financial Group, with Edgemoor, has negotiated with the Navy since 2023 at the NAVWAR site. 400 MW would be California's largest data center, with energy use equal to about 320,000 homes. Mayor Todd Gloria signed an order pausing city data center construction; the Navy doesn't follow city zoning.
⚖️ LEGAL — Alabama Residents Sue Over $1.15B Tax Break for Mega Data Center. Two Lowndes County residents say the commission broke the Open Meetings Act approving Project Red Clay. Project Red Clay: 2,200 acres and 1,500 MW from Alabama Power, the state's largest hyperscale site. Suit filed Oct. 18 over a $1.15B abatement approved Oct. 13; seeks to halt further votes. Judge Cleveland Poole recused; commission approved its minutes 3-2 as 125+ residents watched.
⚖️ LEGAL — Ohio Supreme Court Unanimously Backs Village's Data Center Moratorium. Lordstown did not have to review a developer's site plan once it adopted a moratorium, the court ruled. Bristolville 25 Developer bought industrial land in Feb. 2025 and sought site-plan review that October. Council moved to ban data centers two weeks later; the court found no vested right to the old rules. Village extended its moratorium 180 days in June; Ohio has 100+ moratoriums.
⚡ POWER — Florida Staff Urges Regulators to Deny Duke's Data Center Power Tariff. Public Service Commission staff say the 50 MW large load tariff leaves open who pays; commissioners vote Nov. 3. Tariff covers loads of 50 MW or more: 20-year te
