Top House Democrat calls for moratorium on data centers

Published June 24, 2026 4:12pm ET



House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) has called for a national moratorium on data centers, a significant addition to the growing opposition to the construction of the facilities nationwide.

“I am in favor of a national AI data center moratorium until we can find a way to ensure they don’t harm our nation’s air, water, and power bills,” Pallone said Wednesday at a committee event to advance legislation regulating data centers’ energy use.

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