Bristol County

Moratoriums and bans

1. Aug. 11, 2026 Warren (town): Ban (proposed). On July 27 the Planning Board recommended adding data centers to the town's list of prohibited uses. On August 11 the Town Council voted unanimously to have an ordinance drafted. In late September the council passed a zoning rewrite on first reading that leaves the prohibition out; the planning board plans to bring the ban back as a separate amendment, and the rewrite's public hearing is set for the council's November meeting. (EastBayRI.com, Aug. 6, 2026; EastBayRI.com, Aug. 13, 2026; Uprise RI, Oct. 1, 2026)

Updates, newest first

1. Aug. 11, 2026 Warren (town): Ban (proposed) · On July 27 the Planning Board recommended adding data centers to the town's list of prohibited uses. On August 11 the Town Council voted unanimously to have an ordinance drafted. In late September the council passed a zoning rewrite on first reading that leaves the prohibition out; the planning board plans to bring the ban back as a separate amendment, and the rewrite's public hearing is set for the council's November meeting. (EastBayRI.com, Aug. 6, 2026; EastBayRI.com, Aug. 13, 2026; Uprise RI, Oct. 1, 2026)

Statewide

No data center law (2025-2026): the General Assembly enacted no data center tax break, ratepayer-protection, siting or reporting law. The 2025 tax-break bills were tabled, and none of the 2026 data center bills got out of committee before the regular session ended June 11, 2026. (Rhode Island Current, July 15, 2026; UpriseRI, Sept. 1, 2026; Providence Business News, Aug. 1, 2025) Tax exemption (not enacted): 2025-S 0921 and 2025-H 6097 would have let RI Commerce sign 30- to 50-year agreements exempting qualifying data centers from sales and use tax on equipment and from property tax, for projects investing $200 million in an enterprise or opportunity zone or $400 million elsewhere. Providence Business News reported in August 2025 that the tax-break legislation had been tabled in May. (Rhode Island General Assembly, March 28, 2025; Rhode Island General Assembly, March 14, 2025; Providence Business News, Aug. 1, 2025) Tax exemption (not enacted): 2026-S 2346 and 2026-H 7695 would have let RI Commerce certify data centers for a 30-year sales and use tax exemption on equipment. Senate Commerce heard S 2346 on March 10, 2026 and held it for further study; the Division of Taxation submitted comments on H 7695 to House Finance on May 7, 2026. Neither bill passed. (Rhode Island General Assembly, Jan. 30, 2026; Boston Globe, March 12, 2026; UpriseRI, Sept. 1, 2026; Rhode Island General Assembly, Feb. 11, 2026; Rhode Island General Assembly (House Finance testimony), May 7, 2026; Rhode Island Current, July 15, 2026) Large-load cost rules (not enacted): 2026-H 7331 and the Senate's 2026-S 2776 covered data centers with 50 MW or more of demand. They would have made such sites bear the full cost of grid upgrades built to serve them and required yearly water-use reports to the Department of Environmental Management. H 7331 also let DEM require financial assurance for site restoration and had the Energy Facility Siting Board consult the PUC on cost allocation. Senate Commerce held S 2776 on March 10, 2026, and House Corporations held H 7331 for further study on April 7, 2026. (Rhode Island General Assembly, Jan. 28, 2026; Rhode Island General Assembly Legislative Press Bureau, Jan. 29, 2026; Legiplex (Rhode Island General Assembly bill record), March 4, 2026; Rhode Island Current, April 13, 2026; Boston Globe, March 12, 2026; Rhode Island Current, July 15, 2026) Large-load rate class (not enacted): 2026-H 7270 and 2026-S 2427 would have had the PUC create a separate rate class for facilities of 20 MW or more, with full-cost payment and contracts of at least 10 years. House Corporations heard H 7270 on April 7, 2026 and held it for further study; S 2427 drew testimony in Senate Commerce on March 10, 2026. Neither passed. (Rhode Island House Corporations Committee (testimony), April 7, 2026; Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee (testimony), March 10, 2026; Rhode Island Current, April 13, 2026; Rhode Island Current, July 15, 2026) Utility tariff: no PUC docket or Rhode Island Energy large-load or data center tariff was found. In March 2026 Senate testimony, Rhode Island Energy agreed in principle that costs caused only by large data centers should not fall on other distribution customers, but asked for more study. The PUC offered comments on S 2776 and H 7331 without backing or opposing either bill. (Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee (testimony), March 10, 2026; Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee (testimony), March 10, 2026; Rhode Island House Corporations Committee (testimony), April 7, 2026) Rhode Island data centers →