Commission Endorses Milwaukee Data Center Moratorium After Fiery Hearing
The Milwaukee City Plan Commission unanimously endorsed a proposed one-year moratorium on new data center construction after a contentious public hearing. The proposal now goes to the Common Council and is intended to give the city time to develop zoning rules addressing data centers' energy use, water use, noise and design impacts.
The Milwaukee City Plan Commission unanimously endorsed a proposed one-year halt on new data center construction following nearly two hours of testimony. The moratorium, supported by Mayor Cavalier Johnson's administration, would remain in effect for up to a year or until the city adopts a data center zoning framework, whichever comes first. The proposal next moves to the Milwaukee Common Council.
Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic described the pause as a way to address energy, water, noise and design concerns while the city develops regulations. Supporters cited uncertainty about environmental and neighborhood impacts, while business groups and other opponents argued that Milwaukee should use existing special-use and conditional-use reviews instead of imposing an industrywide moratorium. The hearing also discussed a proposed 19,000-square-foot data center at the Midtown Center redevelopment and the existing Data Holdings-operated facility associated with the Forest County Potawatomi Community.