Westport enacts data center moratorium

The Town of Westport, Wisconsin, has become the latest community in the state to implement a moratorium on the construction of large data or telecommunications centers. The town's board of supervisors passed a temporary, one-year moratorium at its April 6 meeting, which restricts any new data center construction to a maximum of 10,000 square feet. According to Dean Grosskopf, the town administrator, the board voted 4-1 in favor of the measure. The town's attorney based the moratorium on similar actions taken by Madison and Dane County. A significant factor in Westport's decision was the controversy surrounding a QTS Data Centers proposal in the nearby Village of DeForest, which involved annexing 1,500 acres from the Town of Vienna for a data center campus. This proposal generated substantial citizen opposition, which "scared" Westport officials, particularly as the town prepares for a referendum on incorporating as a village. Westport supervisors cited the loss of farmland and general public opposition to data centers, often fueled by concerns over their massive energy and water consumption, as key reasons for enacting the moratorium. Grosskopf noted the strong negative public reaction to the term "data center." The proactive move by Westport aims to allow time to observe the outcomes in Madison and Dane County. The issue of data center regulation, particularly regarding their impact on utility rates and the environment, is also being addressed by state legislators from both Republican and Democratic parties.