Wausau, WI — Proposed Citywide Data Center Zoning Definition + Permit-Application Requirements (Plan Commission Hearing)
Wausau, WI · City of Wausau, Wis., proposed data center zoning text amendment (Plan Commission hearing June 16, 2026)
Wausau, Wisconsin's Plan Commission held its first public hearing June 16, 2026 on proactive zoning rules for data centers. The proposed amendment would define what counts as a data center and require any future applicant to disclose water use, wastewater, energy demand, and noise levels before the city would consider the project. There is no specific data center proposed in Wausau today — the city is preparing rules before one arrives.
Technical detail
Wausau city-staff-initiated zoning text amendment: adds a 'data center' definition to the municipal code and conditions any future data center application on submission of water, wastewater, energy-demand, and sound information for city evaluation of utility capacity and conservation/resource-protection alignment. Plan Commission public hearing June 16, 2026; Council vote date not yet set. Pre-applicant proactive zoning.
Who is protected: Wausau residents, ratepayers, and the Wisconsin River watershed
Who must comply: Any future data center applicant in the City of Wausau
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Wausau, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | Proposed / pending |
| Protection strength | Proposed or pending |
| Citation | City of Wausau, Wis., proposed data center zoning text amendment (Plan Commission hearing June 16, 2026) |
| Enforced by | City of Wausau Plan Commission / Common Council / Zoning |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Wausau Plan Commission to consider zoning rules for data centers — WSAW ↗ |
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
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · 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
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