Overview
- Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri publicly urged a federal moratorium on new hyperscale data centers on Wednesday, saying Congress should first secure guarantees that ratepayers will not face higher electricity bills.
- Hawley is the first Republican senator to back a nationwide pause and his statement adds cross‑party momentum to proposals that were previously led by progressive Democrats.
- The call builds on Hawley’s recent bills, including the No Tax Breaks for Data Centers Act and his co‑sponsorship of the GRID Act, which aim to deny special tax breaks and stop companies from shifting grid upgrade costs to consumers.
- State and local officials are already moving: the 2026 midterms produced ballot limits and some governors and legislatures are considering moratoria or tighter siting and incentive rules for data centers.
- Coverage differs on the path forward with some outlets stressing Hawley’s political impact on state debates and markets while others note the moratorium still faces hurdles in the Senate and from the White House.