De Pere WI proposed 1-year large data center moratorium (2026)
De Pere, WI — Plan Commission Endorses a One-Year Moratorium on Rezonings for Large Data Centers (300,000+ Gallons/Day or 50,000+ Sq Ft), Citing Water Burden (September 2026)
De Pere, WI · De Pere, WI — proposed one-year large-scale data center rezoning moratorium (Plan Commission endorsement Sept. 28, 2026; Common Council vote pending)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Applicants seeking rezoning for large-scale data centers in De Pere
- Enforced by
- City of De Pere (Common Council; Plan Commission)
De Pere's Plan Commission endorsed a proposed one-year pause on large data centers. If the City Council approves it, the city could not consider any rezoning request for a data center that would use more than 300,000 gallons of water a day or cover more than 50,000 square feet. The city engineer said such a facility could strain the water utility; 300,000 gallons a day would be about an 18% jump in the city's current daily water use. Mayor James Boyd supports the pause.
Who is protected: De Pere residents and water-utility ratepayers
Legal detail
Proposed development moratorium under Wisconsin's moratorium statute (which, per city development services director Daniel Lindstrom as quoted by the Press-Gazette, requires an engineer's or health professional's opinion of infrastructure burden or public-health risk, cannot pause developments already underway, and cannot target a specific project). Drafted terms: for one year, officials may not consider any rezoning proposal for a data center using >300,000 gallons of water/day or occupying >50,000 sq ft (the 'large-scale' threshold in city engineer Eric Rakers' memo). Rakers' memo: 300,000 gpd = ~18% increase over current ~1.65 million gpd city use. Plan Commission endorsement Sept. 28, 2026 (Press-Gazette); Spectrum News reports the planning body approved a one-year moratorium that still needs Common Council final approval. Council vote expected November 2026 (Press-Gazette); exact date not stated. NOT ESTABLISHED: Plan Commission vote count; council meeting date; ordinance number.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | De Pere, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | De Pere, WI — proposed one-year large-scale data center rezoning moratorium (Plan Commission endorsement Sept. 28, 2026; Common Council vote pending) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | De Pere committee endorses data center moratorium, citing water burden — Green Bay Press-Gazette |
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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