🇺🇸 English, 9 October 2026, data center moratorium
Wisconsin Rapids Enacts 12-Month Data Center Development Moratorium
The city will pause all data center developments to address concerns over public health and safety and rate payer equity.
The moratorium will last up to 12 months, with the possibility of a six-month extension if needed. The city will use this time to conduct infrastructure studies, develop a regulatory framework, and make changes to codes and ordinances. The moratorium was enacted due to concerns over the potential significant threats to public health and safety and rate payer equity.
A new Data Center Overlay District has been created in the city’s zoning ordinance, requiring developers to first rezone a property to this district before applying for a conditional use permit to build a data center. This change aims to address the city’s concerns with data center developments.
The city will conduct a transparent process, involving public participation, to address the concerns and make necessary changes to regulations and codes. The city is currently without a community development director, but the city attorney has assured that the process will be transparent and effective.