Renewable Energy Opposition Tracker
A continuously updated record of local opposition to clean energy across the United States — county solar and wind moratoriums, battery storage bans, project rejections, developer withdrawals, and the lawsuits that follow. Every entry links to its source. Updated weekly from our In the Trenches reporting.
141
Tracked actions
34
Moratoriums, bans & restrictions
17
Projects rejected
35
States
Browse by State
Latest Tracked Actions
Hillsdale County, Michigan — A Michigan township that said no to a 2nd big solar project is now in a legal fight
A solar developer is suing after a Michigan township rejected its proposal for a 1,000-acre solar project near Jonesville, asking a judge to reverse the township's decision.
Columbia County, Wisconsin — Columbia County Board hears widespread opposition as residents call for wind and solar mor
The Columbia County Board heard widespread opposition from residents calling for a moratorium on wind and solar projects during a meeting where energy development was on the agenda.
Calcasieu County, Louisiana — Proposed 4,700-acre solar farm draws opposition from state rep., Moss Bluff residents
A proposed 4,700-acre solar farm in Moss Bluff, Louisiana is drawing opposition from residents and a state representative who is seeking a statewide moratorium on large solar projects.
Jefferson County, Iowa — Jefferson County supervisors pass moratorium on data centers
The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors approved a 12-month moratorium on data center construction along with a new ordinance regulating them. The action reflects community-driven pushback against data center development.
Madison County, New York — Madison County aims to block wind farm via PILOT opposition, lawsuit
Madison County supervisors are opposing the Hoffman Falls Wind Project by raising economic and technical objections to its PILOT application and pursuing a lawsuit. The county is actively working to block the wind farm.
Louisiana — In rural communities, fears amplified by ‘AI slop’ and social media hamper solar boom
Misinformation spread via AI-generated social media content derailed a solar project in rural Louisiana that had promised millions in local tax revenue. Community fears amplified by bots and neighbors led to the project's defeat.
Franklin County, Maine — Jay Select Board hears opposition to what could become the largest solar farm in Maine
A moratorium petition targeting an 800-900 acre solar farm may go to a November referendum in Jay, Maine. The Select Board heard opposition from community members at a recent meeting.
New York — Halt BESS approvals near homes: Wong
City Councilmember Phil Wong is calling on the Governor to halt battery energy storage system approvals near homes, opposing a controversial BESS project in his district.
Pitt County, North Carolina — Farmville board adopts 12-month moratorium on potential data center after residents voice
Farmville commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a 12-month moratorium on data centers after residents voiced opposition, pausing any potential decisions while staff reviews the issue.
Tennessee — Nashville Has Begun Regulating Data Centers. Now the Energy Conversation Must Catch Up.
Nashville passed new data center zoning rules and a moratorium on the same day, reflecting community and regulatory pressure to control data center growth while leaving energy questions unresolved.
Darlington County, South Carolina — Darlington Co. considers 9-month moratorium on new solar and wind projects
Darlington County leaders are considering a nine-month moratorium on new solar and wind projects amid a legal challenge over existing energy development.
Henderson County, Kentucky — After Kentucky residents pushed back, Pattern Energy axes wind and solar farm plan
Pattern Energy has cancelled its Rock Bluff wind and solar farm plan in western Kentucky after years of pushback from local residents.
Washington — Developer walks away from long-planned WA solar farm
After five years of obstacles, the developer of a proposed 2,400-acre solar farm east of Wenatchee has walked away and withdrawn its application.
Sedgwick County, Kansas — Sedgwick County leaders deny two solar farm proposals after lengthy public deliberation
Sedgwick County leaders denied two solar farm proposals after nearly 60 residents spoke during a lengthy public deliberation, with significant community opposition voiced.
Loudoun County, Virginia — Loudoun County considers putting pause on data center development
Loudoun County leaders have taken initial steps to potentially pause new data center development in the county.
Middlesex County, Massachusetts — Residents want a judge to pause Lowell data center expansion
Residents are seeking a court injunction to pause the Markley Group's data center expansion in Lowell, arguing that state environmental regulators violated the law in approving it.
Iberville County, Louisiana — Louisiana parish imposes 2-year battery storage freeze after fire fears, resident pushback
The Iberville Parish Council approved a two-year moratorium on industrial battery storage projects following fire fears and resident pushback.
Massachusetts — A proposed moratorium on data centers hits resistance in Mass. Senate
A proposed moratorium on data centers in Massachusetts is meeting resistance from top Senate Democrats, who are wary of blocking facilities that power AI despite concerns about the technology.
Huron County, Michigan — Huron planning commission to consider extending moratorium on solar, battery permits
The Huron County Planning Commission is considering a recommendation to extend an existing moratorium on special use permits for solar and battery storage projects.
Humboldt County, Iowa — Humboldt County regulates turbines
Humboldt County officials passed a new ordinance regulating wind turbines, seeking to control where future turbines can be placed.
Methodology & Sourcing
Entries are compiled weekly from local and trade press coverage identified during our In the Trenches opposition reporting. Every entry links to the source that reported it; we record what sources report and do not independently assert the legal status of any ordinance. Entries marked Verified have been additionally checked by our editors against the cited source; all others are labeled Reported.
Dates reflect what the data supports: “Week of” entries carry the date of the weekly report that surfaced them (the underlying action occurred that week or shortly before); exact dates, months, or years appear where sources state them, and are shown at that precision.
This tracker complements — and gratefully acknowledges — the annual Columbia Law Sabin Center Opposition Report and the DOE/NREL siting ordinance databases, which document the underlying ordinances at annual cadence. Corrections: contact us.
Citing this tracker: cite as “CleanPowerDaily Opposition Tracker” with a link to this page or the relevant state page. Free to reference with attribution. The full dataset is available as machine-readable JSON.