Moratorium Nation is both a working paper and a living open-data project about local pauses on data centers, battery storage, solar, wind, and cryptocurrency mining. The first SSRN edition documented 116 moratoria across 30 states. The companion dataset has continued to expand and, as of August 19, 2026, tracks 533 instruments across 42 states.

Available on SSRN: Moratorium Nation

Overview

The paper surveys the legal foundations of moratorium authority, analyzes the original research cohort, provides a 50-state review of legal authority, and proposes a model ordinance template. The repository extends that work with source-linked records, plain-English state pages, a codebook, reproducible tables and maps, and explicit coverage notes.

Key Findings

Metric	Value
Dataset snapshot	August 19, 2026
Instruments tracked	533
States represented	42
Currently in force	429
Pending or proposed	34
Geocoded records	531 of 533

Topics Covered

Legal foundations of moratorium authority across all 50 states
A growing national inventory with adoption status, dates, sectors, sources, and coordinates
Common drafting gaps in the paper’s original coded cohort
A 13-section model ordinance template with sector-specific supplements
The tension between local infrastructure regulation and accelerating demand

Audience

The paper is written for both researchers interested in the empirics of local infrastructure regulation and practitioners — county attorneys, planning directors, local officials — who need to develop a basic understanding of moratorium law and drafting before engaging local counsel.