St. Croix County Community Development Committee expected to discuss data center regulation options today

The St. Croix County Community Development Committee is set to hold a "Discussion on Data Centers and Regulation Options" meeting today, prompted by committee member Dani Erickson. The committee's discussion is influenced by a recent decision from the Hammond Board of Appeals, which approved a conditional use permit for a small-scale data center in the Village of Hammond.

This approval by the appeals board reversed an earlier denial by the Hammond Village Board, which had initially tabled the decision in April before voting to deny the permit in May. Residents expressed significant opposition, but the board of appeals proceeded with approval after legal counsel advised that a continued denial could result in a court decision granting the permit without any concessions from the company.

The St. Croix County committee will explore the possibility of implementing a moratorium, which would temporarily halt data center-related decisions while the county researches and develops new ordinances. Examples of such regulations from Waushara County and the City of Jefferson, Wisconsin, include requiring data centers in intensive manufacturing zones, mandating conditional use permits for environmental concerns like water and electricity usage, and establishing distance requirements from residential areas. The goal is to address the growing national interest in data centers driven by AI, alongside local concerns from residents regarding environmental impacts.