Madison mayor to propose one-year moratorium on data center construction

The Madison mayor and city council are proposing a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in the city. The goal is to allow time to update the city's zoning code to address concerns over the high energy and water usage of large data centers. Data centers have faced growing backlash in the Midwest due to their environmental impacts, and Wisconsin lacks state-level regulations on their development. Large, single-story data centers have been proposed in nearby areas, but the mayor says those types of facilities may not be the "highest and best use" of limited land in Madison. The moratorium could be lifted sooner if the city enacts new zoning regulations for data centers.