Wisconsin county puts moratorium on data center construction

The Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors held a standing-room-only meeting on April 28, 2026, where they voted on imposing a moratorium on data center construction. Public comment overwhelmingly favored the moratorium. District 12 Supervisor Kevin Behnke noted the discussions were similar to past debates over windmills and cell towers. The moratorium, initially proposed for one year, was amended to 18 months and further clarified to apply to data centers with the capability of managing more than one petabyte of data. The board ultimately voted unanimously to enact the moratorium. The county intends to use this time to gather more information and prepare appropriate ordinances and zoning regulations for any potential future data center developments. Behnke acknowledged the financial benefits data centers could bring to municipalities like Port Washington but also highlighted concerns about potential negatives, particularly regarding energy rates. He stressed that the vote represented a pause for preparedness, not a stance for or against data centers. Aaron Billy, Chief Development Officer for Cloverleaf, a real estate developer for data centers, expressed optimism about moratoriums that focus on understanding issues and establishing guidelines, rather than outright bans.