Loudoun County, Virginia, the "data center capital" with the highest concentration of data centers in the world, has played the "moratorium" card to temporarily suspend the approval of new data centers. While the intention is to temporarily halt administrative procedures to prevent reckless development and the depletion of power grids and water resources, controversy over the legal legitimacy of the local government's authority to halt development under state law is intensifying. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently decided to proceed with a plan to temporarily suspend the review of new applications for data centers and related substations, and passed the relevant motion with 6 votes in favor and 1 against. Supervisor Julie Briskman, who spearheaded this initiative, requested a legal analysis from the County Counsel's Office and instructed them to submit a detailed implementation plan to suspend the review of administrative and legislative site plans by September 15. According to data, Loudoun County currently has over 200 operational data centers, with approximately 100 additional projects underway (totaling over 53.3 million square feet). Supervisor Briskman pointed out that while data centers have become a core component of the local economy, rapid expansion has driven residents' concerns regarding water depletion, air quality deterioration, and grid overload to extreme levels. Consequently, her position is that new approvals must be suspended until the county completes its ongoing overhaul of land use and zoning policies. However, a wait-and-see approach prevails regarding whether this moratorium will actually take effect and whether the county can withstand legal disputes. This is because Virginia has adopted ‘Dillon Rule,’ which strictly limits the authority of local governments to the scope specified in state law. Leo Rogers, County Counsel, cited a 1975 Virginia Supreme Court ruling declaring Fairfax County’s development moratorium illegal, warning that the Supreme Court tends not to recognize temporary suspension measures by local governments. In particular, it is observed that avoiding lawsuits will be difficult if administrative applications with legally mandated processing deadlines are suspended. Supervisor Christine Umstad, who cast the only dissenting vote in this session, also expressed concern, stating that the county would face enormous legal risks if the moratorium were to pass. Backlash from the relevant industry is also fierce. The Data Center Coalition argued that the local government’s push for a moratorium is