The Minneapolis City Council voted last Thursday to approve a six-month moratorium on the “establishment, re-establishment, or expansion of data centers” larger than 350,000 sq ft (32,516 sqm).

The resolution passed 8-5 and will remain in effect until November.

In the meantime, the city is set to reform its zoning code and conduct a study on the potential impacts of data centers.

The city was initially considering imposing a one-year moratorium, according to a report by the Star Tribune.

Backlash to data centers in Minnesota has led many local authorities to consider imposing moratoria on data centers.

Earlier this month, the city of Inver Grover Heights, located southeast of Minneapolis, approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction. QLevr, the developer behind a proposal to build a 5MW, 55,000 sq ft (5,109 sqm) data center in the city, has since threatened legal action against the government, claiming that its application was filed prior to the moratorium.

Just last week, Wright County, located northwest of Minneapolis, passed a moratorium on applications to construct data centers.

State legislators have also attempted to pass a state-wide moratorium on data centers. HB4888 / SB 4298 would prevent local governments from issuing permits for data centers “until one calendar year after the Public Utility Commission submits a comprehensive report that assesses various possible scenarios for data center development in Minnesota.”

Minneapolis is Minnesota’s most populous city.