Florence County Board approves data center moratorium, ends Flock camera use
The Florence County Board in Wisconsin unanimously approved a moratorium on data center and battery energy storage system development. The moratorium gives the county up to 18 months, and potentially longer if needed, to revise its comprehensive plan, zoning regulations and land-use policies. The board also unanimously voted to discontinue use of the county's two Flock cameras.
The Florence County Board unanimously approved a resolution establishing a moratorium on data center and battery energy storage system development in unincorporated areas. Officials said the county's existing 20-year comprehensive plan and zoning rules did not anticipate the potential impacts of large data centers or battery storage systems, which store electricity from the grid or generation facilities for later use.
The moratorium gives the Florence County Zoning Committee up to 18 months, with a possible extension, to review and revise the county's comprehensive plan, zoning regulations and land-use policies. During the same meeting, the board voted unanimously to discontinue use of Florence County's two active Flock cameras, directing that they be turned off and covered.