Dodge County supervisors pass moratorium on data centers
The Dodge County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin passed an 18-month moratorium on new data center development, following resident concerns about environmental impacts. Residents, including Maily Kocinski, reported severe water issues like dry wells and elevated strontium levels, attributing them to Meta's ongoing data center construction in Beaver Dam. The moratorium aims to allow time to develop an ordinance with guidelines for future data centers, addressing the current regulatory gaps highlighted by affected homeowners.
The Dodge County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin has enacted an 18-month moratorium on new data center developments, responding to growing community concerns over environmental impacts. The decision, passed with a 29-2 vote, grants the supervisors time to draft an ordinance to regulate future data center projects.
The action follows vocal opposition from residents like Maily Kocinski of Beaver Dam, who reported significant water quality and supply issues, including dried-up creeks, depleted wells, and elevated strontium levels, since construction began on Meta's $1 billion AI-optimized data center in her area. Kocinski criticized the existing regulatory framework, stating that "permits do not equal protection" and detailing her struggles with documenting damage and seeking accountability from state agencies like the DNR.
Another resident, Steve Rydzewski, echoed concerns about the massive scale of the Meta facility and its irreversible impact on farmland and neighborhood dynamics, contrasting it with traditional manufacturing jobs. Supervisor Dan Siegmann supported the moratorium, urging a cautious approach to rapid data center expansion. The moratorium aims to prevent further issues before the Meta data center, slated for completion in 2027 within Alliant Energy’s Beaver Dam Commerce Park, becomes fully operational and its full consequences are understood by the community.