Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year)
Madison, WI — One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers (>10,000 sq ft)
Madison, WI · City of Madison, WI one-year data-center moratorium (Feb. 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- February 1, 2027
- Applies to
- Data-center developers seeking zoning approvals for facilities >10,000 sq ft within the City of Madison
- Enforced by
- City of Madison Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development (DPCED)
Madison, Wisconsin's Common Council approved a one-year moratorium on issuing zoning approvals for new data centers larger than 10,000 sq ft while city staff develop permanent land-use and zoning standards for data-center uses.
Who is protected: Madison residents and ratepayers
Legal detail
City of Madison Common Council passed a temporary moratorium prohibiting issuance of zoning approvals for data centers or telecommunications centers with floor area >10,000 sq ft. The moratorium automatically ends when the city adopts permanent data-center zoning standards (before the one-year term expires). Only applies to principal or primary data-center uses. The city's DPCED office maintains an official page tracking the moratorium and rulemaking status.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Madison, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | February 1, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Madison, WI one-year data-center moratorium (Feb. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Zoning approval denial during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Madison passes temporary data center moratorium — Spectrum News 1 (Feb. 1, 2026) |
More AI rules in Madison, WI
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
- Washington Township OH data center moratorium (360-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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