Washington County

Moratoriums and bans

1. July 27, 2026 Westerly (town): Moratorium. The Town Council voted 7-0 for a one-year moratorium on data center construction, giving the Planning and Zoning Commission time to propose rules on where such facilities could or could not go. Town officials said no one had approached the town about a data center. At its June 22 meeting the council had asked the town solicitor to draft moratorium language. (The Westerly Sun, undated; The Westerly Sun, June 26, 2026; Uprise RI, Aug. 11, 2026)
2. Aug. 11, 2026 Charlestown (town): Ban (zoning ordinance). The Town Council voted 5-0 for an ordinance banning data centers and battery energy storage systems across the town, after the Planning Commission backed it in July. Officials described it as a preventive step, since no data center was planned, and pointed to the town's dependence on private wells and septic systems. (ecoRI News, Aug. 14, 2026; The Westerly Sun, Aug. 12, 2026; ecoRI News, Aug. 10, 2026)
3. Oct. 2026 Hopkinton (town): Ban (zoning ordinance). On July 6 the council asked the Planning Board to prepare a zoning amendment barring data centers, modeled on Smithfield's ordinance but permanent, and its Sept. 2 special meeting agenda listed an emergency moratorium on data centers. In October the council voted 5-0 for a zoning amendment that defines data centers and bars them in every district, the Westerly Sun reported Oct. 23; the exact meeting date was not found in a source we opened. Officials said no data center was planned in town. (Town of Hopkinton, July 29, 2026; Town of Hopkinton, Sept. 2, 2026; Town of Hopkinton Planning Board, Sept. 10, 2026; The Westerly Sun, Oct. 23, 2026)

Updates, newest first

1. Oct. 2026 Hopkinton (town): Ban (zoning ordinance) · On July 6 the council asked the Planning Board to prepare a zoning amendment barring data centers, modeled on Smithfield's ordinance but permanent, and its Sept. 2 special meeting agenda listed an emergency moratorium on data centers. In October the council voted 5-0 for a zoning amendment that defines data centers and bars them in every district, the Westerly Sun reported Oct. 23; the exact meeting date was not found in a source we opened. Officials said no data center was planned in town. (Town of Hopkinton, July 29, 2026; Town of Hopkinton, Sept. 2, 2026; Town of Hopkinton Planning Board, Sept. 10, 2026; The Westerly Sun, Oct. 23, 2026)
2. Aug. 11, 2026 Charlestown (town): Ban (zoning ordinance) · The Town Council voted 5-0 for an ordinance banning data centers and battery energy storage systems across the town, after the Planning Commission backed it in July. Officials described it as a preventive step, since no data center was planned, and pointed to the town's dependence on private wells and septic systems. (ecoRI News, Aug. 14, 2026; The Westerly Sun, Aug. 12, 2026; ecoRI News, Aug. 10, 2026)
3. July 27, 2026 Westerly (town): Moratorium · The Town Council voted 7-0 for a one-year moratorium on data center construction, giving the Planning and Zoning Commission time to propose rules on where such facilities could or could not go. Town officials said no one had approached the town about a data center. At its June 22 meeting the council had asked the town solicitor to draft moratorium language. (The Westerly Sun, undated; The Westerly Sun, June 26, 2026; Uprise RI, Aug. 11, 2026)
4. May 21, 2025 University of Rhode Island Data Center (Tyler Hall) · An updated URI IT page again listed Tyler Hall as the on-campus data center location. (University of Rhode Island Information Technology Services, May 21, 2025)
5. Sept. 23, 2024 University of Rhode Island Data Center (Tyler Hall) · URI's IT site described its data center operations at Tyler Hall and at the state facility in Warwick. (University of Rhode Island Information Technology Services, Sept. 23, 2024)

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 →