Data center moratoriums raise financing and insurance risks, Baldwin Group says
BWIN•Baldwin Group’s industry analysis says regulatory pauses threaten data center financing timelines and raise insurance costs. Moratorium activity reached 28% of decisions in 2026, while 120 projects worth a combined $198 billion were delayed, rejected or disrupted in the first half of the year.
1. Project delays and coverage
Moratorium activity reached 28% of data center decisions in 2026, up from roughly 1% in early 2025. Local opposition delayed or rejected 75 AI data center projects worth $130 billion in the first quarter; another 45 projects worth $68 billion were disrupted in the second quarter. Pauses can require extensions to builder’s risk coverage, while delay-in-start-up coverage may not cover legislative delays, leaving developers exposed to lost revenue.
