City of Wisconsin Rapids approves data center moratorium

The Wisconsin Rapids Common Council voted unanimously on Oct. 5 to impose a citywide moratorium of up to 12 months on data center development and applications. The action followed three public hearings and unanimous recommendations from the city’s Planning Commission to establish the temporary ban, revise zoning ordinances and create a dedicated data center overlay district.

The city plans to use the pause to evaluate infrastructure and develop regulations addressing ratepayer equity, public health and safety. PNK Group, which proposed a data center redevelopment at a former paper mill site, said the project record was sufficient to proceed and asked the city to review additional materials before making a final decision on its conditional use permit. Residents at the hearings largely supported the moratorium, while earlier reactions to the proposal had been hostile.