Reno Council orders study of data‑center rules after hours of public pleas, directs moratorium be placed on future agenda

After nearly nine hours of public testimony and technical briefings on April 22, 2026, the Reno City Council voted unanimously to initiate a zoning text amendment to study and revise the city’s rules for large data centers.

Dozens of residents, tribal representatives and environmental advocates filled council chambers and the Zoom queue to press the council to either halt new data‑center approvals or to adopt far stricter local standards. Many urged a moratorium while the city and regional partners finish drafting rules they say must address water consumption, emissions from backup generation, noise, land‑use compatibility and mandatory tribal consultation for projects that could affect the Truckee River watershed and Pyramid Lake.

“Data centers are typically resource‑intensive and have detrimental impacts on a community and its residents,” Sierra Club‑affiliated speaker Robin Palmer said in public comment. “I support a text amendment for data centers and a moratorium on data centers until a text amendment is adopted.”

Staff told the council that the city adopted new conditional‑use review standards for data centers in 2024–25, but a wave of interest from developers and projects recently authorized in neighboring jurisdictions have prompted renewed attention. Lauren Knox, senior planner in Development Services, told the council that Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency (TMRPA) is preparing a regional analysis and is expected to report options to jurisdictions this summer — and recommended Reno “initiate” a local code review so the city is an active partner in shaping regional standards.

Council members debated whether to act locally or wait for a regional approach. Councilman Devin Ree said the council should act while there are no data‑center applications currently in the city’s formal queue — “now is the time” to begin a study, he said — and asked staff to return with a moratorium procedure for the next council meeting. Legal staff clarified that a moratorium requires a separate two‑step process under Reno Municipal Code Chapter 1.07 (a pending resolution first, then a final resolution after public notice), and that such a resolution cannot be adopted as part of the text‑amendment motion at the same meeting.

Council voted 7‑0 to initiate a Title 18 zoning text amendment to analyze definitions, siting and buffer rules, cooling and water use, energy and backup‑generation standards, noise limits, reporting and transparency requirements, and to clarify whether and how battery storage and other auxiliary systems should be regulated. Council also directed staff to place a moratorium resolution on the next available agenda for separate consideration.

The announcement follows months of public input and two prior council discussions. TMRPA officials said they will convene regional stakeholders this spring and deliver recommended, prioritized actions in August. Staff cautioned the council that a regional study could take time, and that the city’s initiation of a local code review would allow Reno to join the regional process and propose coordinated standards.

What’s next: Staff will take the council’s direction to initiate the local Title 18 amendment and to participate in the regional effort. If the council asks for a moratorium, the city manager will bring the draft pending‑moratorium resolution forward for the council to place on a future meeting agenda; after public notice the council could adopt a final moratorium resolution. The city also will hold public outreach and return to planning commission and council with proposed code language once analyses are complete.

Speakers quoted or cited in council discussion included environmental advocates and community members (Robin Palmer; Jess Burroughs; multiple members of the Water Over Data Alliance and Sierra Club) and staff planners (Lauren Knox). The council’s motion to initiate the text amendment passed unanimously.

Provenance: staff presentations and motions recorded at the April 22, 2026 Reno City Council meeting, public comments between SEG 356–~780 and council direction/vote recorded at SEG ~7990–8018.

Outlook: The city’s text‑amendment effort will be the primary vehicle for local standards; council direction also requested staff place a moratorium resolution on a future agenda for council consideration. The regional study from TMRPA is expected in August and could shape the final local ordinance.