Town of Beloit officially starts data center moratorium process
The Town of Beloit Board of Supervisors officially approved a resolution for a 12-month moratorium on data center projects, following a period of public opposition. This move, mirrored by the Town of Turtle, aims to halt a proposed $1 billion data center campus by Panattoni Development Co. while the town completes further legislative steps.
The Town of Beloit Board of Supervisors has officially initiated a 12-month moratorium on data center projects, voting 4-0 to approve a resolution on July 20. This decision follows an overflow crowd attending the meeting to voice opposition to a proposed $1 billion data center campus, dubbed “Project Cornmaze,” planned for the towns of Beloit and Turtle.
The action marks the first of three steps required to fully implement the moratorium, which will involve a public hearing and the drafting and approval of an ordinance. Earlier in July, the board had already rejected a cost reimbursement agreement with California-based Panattoni Development Co., the company behind the proposed 2 million-square-foot hyperscale data center. The Town of Turtle has also approved its own 12-month moratorium resolution, effectively pausing Panattoni's development plans for at least a year. Citizen groups, through open records requests, have uncovered that inquiries about building data centers in Rock County, Wisconsin, date back to at least 2023.