Data Center Moratorium Now In Effect For Manitowoc County

The Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors has unanimously enacted an 18-month moratorium on new data center construction within the county. The decision, made in a crowded board room, came after numerous residents voiced their support for the measure during public comments. Residents highlighted concerns about potential impacts on utility rates, citing high power usage of data centers, with one resident referencing University of Indiana research on AI power needs that can surpass 100 megawatts. Environmental issues, including dust and dirt from construction and potential loss of property value in areas with data centers, were also raised. Speakers urged the board to conduct listening sessions and establish strict guidelines on water and power usage, including steep penalties for non-compliance, if data centers are eventually permitted. During the vote, the county board made two amendments to the moratorium, one of which allows for data centers storing up to one petabyte (1,000 terabytes) to be built during the moratorium period. 19th District Board Supervisor Shae Sortwell explained this amendment was an attempt to address constituents' desire to prevent larger data centers, distinguishing it from smaller data processing equipment like cell phones. The board also voted to extend the moratorium's duration from an initial 12 months to 18 months. Manitowoc County Executive Tyler Martell expressed no surprise at the moratorium's passage, noting that supervisors were hearing strong constituent demand for it, either due to outright opposition to data centers or a desire for time to study statewide trends. Town of Mishicot Chairman Dean Anhalt welcomed the extension to 18 months, stating it would provide sufficient time for the county to investigate, develop, and present necessary rules. The Towns of Mishicot, Two Rivers, and Two Creeks had initially requested the moratorium after data center representatives approached residents about land sales. Manitowoc County joins Madison and Port Washington in implementing measures to control future data center development.