Dodge County Board of Supervisors votes to approve data center moratorium

The Dodge County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin has enacted an 18-month moratorium on new data center construction within the county's unincorporated areas. This decision, made on Tuesday, follows a recommendation from the Land Resources and Parks Committee, which held a public hearing earlier in the month.

The ordinance temporarily pauses the siting, construction, and operation of data centers in the 13 towns under the county's zoning program. County officials stated that the purpose of this halt is to allow staff sufficient time to review existing land use codes, the Comprehensive Plan, and the Farmland Preservation Plan. The goal is to establish long-term standards and regulations for data centers, rather than to impose a permanent prohibition.

The measure received significant support during an August 10 public hearing, where nine individuals spoke, and three town boards—Rubicon, Lebanon, and Trenton—submitted formal support. Additionally, 14 written comments favored the proposed moratorium. The committee's unanimous recommendation led to its approval by the full county board.

Officials cited increasing interest in large-scale data centers, including one currently under construction in the city of Beaver Dam, as the impetus for needing to evaluate how these facilities should be regulated, particularly in rural parts of Dodge County. The adopted ordinance directs the Land Resources and Parks Committee to utilize the moratorium period to study data center impacts and propose permanent zoning and planning amendments.