Initiatives and Updates

Data Center Text Amendment and Moratorium

On June 1, 2026, City Council approved of a final moratorium resolution related to data center development. The moratorium is in effect through August 31, 2027, or until a time that adequate regulations are adopted. The City will not be accepting applications for conditional use permit requests for data centers during this timeframe. For reference, all new data centers attempting to develop in the City of Reno require approval of a conditional use permit. 

Prior to that, on April 22, 2026, City Council initiated a text amendment to Title 18 (Annexation and Land Development Code) related to data center regulations. City staff will be working with the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency (TMRPA) to engage the public and stakeholders. City of Reno staff and TMRPA staff will continue to research best practices and engage with the community throughout this process.

TMRPA will be taking the lead on conducting a variety of engagement opportunities for key stakeholders and the public. This information will be used by TMRPA staff to create a recommendations report based on their findings and feedback. It is anticipated that this report will be used by Reno to then draft proposed amendments to data center regulations. 

For more information on TMRPA's effort, please visit their Energy and Data Center webpage, where you can subscribe to mailing list and stay up to date, take a survey, or provide feedback. 

A Data Center Fact Sheet has been developed to help inform the community about data centers in general, provide background, and understand the current and future efforts. 

Additional questions may be directed to Lauren Knox at KnoxL@reno.gov. 

Live Entertainment Regulations

At the June 3, 2026, City Council hearing, Council adopted a change to the Title 18 Zoning Code that establishes a temporary exception to Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requirements for indoor live entertainment.  The text amendment defines the parameters of the temporary pause, including:

• The temporary deregulation of conditional use permit requirements will expire on December 31, 2027.
• The temporary deregulation will only apply to indoor live entertainment. Outdoor live entertainment after 10 p.m. will continue to require a conditional use permit.
• The temporary deregulation will only apply to the properties within the Downtown, Midtown and adjacent to the 4th Street corridors (Permitted Live Entertainment Zoning Areas).
• Approval of a cabaret license is required.
• Submission and approval of a security plan is required.  The security plan will be reviewed by City staff from Planning, Code Enforcement, Business License and the Police Department.
• At a minimum, the security plan shall address:
  1. Security staffing and procedures
  2. Queuing of patrons
  3. Safety Protocols
  4. Exterior Lighting
  5. Procedures to prevent loitering outside of the business.

• At the Administrator’s discretion, a new security plan and/or amendments may be required.  
• Failure to comply with an approved security plan shall constitute a violation of the zoning code and may result in revocation of the cabaret license and loss of authorization to operate with live entertainment.

City staff will be monitoring the new live entertainment activity and reporting back to Council with updates.