County may press pause on data center construction
Brown County, Wisconsin, is considering a proposed moratorium on data center construction, with its Planning, Development and Transportation Committee set to vote on June 2, 2026. However, the effectiveness of a county-level moratorium is limited due to a lack of county-wide zoning, leaving specific land-use decisions to individual municipalities. The Wisconsin Data Center Coalition has expressed concerns about misinformation driving public pushback against data centers.
The Brown County Planning, Development and Transportation Committee is slated to discuss and vote on a proposed moratorium on data center construction on June 2, 2026. Brown County Supervisor Christopher Welch has framed the potential moratorium as "guidance" or a "framework" intended to support municipalities when they are approached about data center proposals. However, the proposed county-level moratorium's direct impact on specific data center projects is limited because Brown County lacks county-wide zoning, meaning land-use decisions ultimately rest with individual municipalities.
This move follows a trend in Wisconsin, with other counties like Manitowoc having already imposed similar moratoriums. Tricia Braun, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Data Center Coalition, addressed common concerns, stating that data centers utilize closed-loop water systems that do not affect local water supplies and that utility rates would not be impacted. While acknowledging that moratoriums offer communities time to process information, Braun expressed hope they would not deter future data center development. Should the committee approve the moratorium, it would then proceed to the full Brown County Board for a final vote. Separately, the Village of Wrightstown, also in Brown County, recently decided to include a referendum on data centers on its August 2026 ballot.