What to know about proposed Manitowoc County data center moratorium

Manitowoc County, Wisconsin is considering a temporary ban on new data center development. The proposed 12-month moratorium comes after requests from the towns of Mishicot, Two Creeks, and Two Rivers, which expressed concerns about the potential impact of data centers on the community's health, safety, public services, infrastructure, and natural resources. The county's Planning and Park Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed moratorium on March 30. After the hearing, the commission will discuss and vote on a recommended action, which will then be forwarded to the full Manitowoc County Board for consideration. County Board Chairperson Tyler Martell stated that while the board is not expected to discuss the moratorium yet, the issue has not been dropped. The proposed ordinance states that the moratorium would allow the county to fully explore and analyze the environmental, economic, health, and safety impacts of data centers, and develop consistent zoning and regulatory standards to be applied to future data center projects in Manitowoc County.