Milwaukee WI proposed one-year data center moratorium
Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Proposed One-Year Moratorium on Establishing or Enlarging Data Centers Clears City Plan Commission Unanimously; Committee Oct. 6, Common Council Oct. 13 (September 2026)
Milwaukee, WI · City of Milwaukee proposed data center moratorium ordinance (Plan Commission Sept. 28, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers and operators in Milwaukee (if adopted)
- Enforced by
- City of Milwaukee; Department of City Development
A proposed Milwaukee ordinance would pause the establishment, construction, enlargement, expansion, conversion or occupancy of data centers citywide for up to one year, or until the city adopts zoning rules for data centers, whichever comes first. The City Plan Commission unanimously endorsed it on September 28, 2026 after a lengthy hearing. It goes to the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee on October 6 and is expected before the Common Council on October 13. A separate zoning proposal would ban data centers over 60,000 square feet and regulate smaller ones.
Who is protected: Milwaukee residents
Legal detail
Milwaukee, Wis. — moratorium ordinance sponsored by Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic; co-sponsors per Urban Milwaukee: Brower, Moore, Bauman, Stamper. SCOPE (BizTimes): one-year pause on data center 'establishment, construction, enlargement, expansion, conversion or occupancy'; rescinded early if zoning rules are adopted. ACTION: City Plan Commission unanimous on Monday 2026-09-28 (Journal Sentinel; FOX6); DCD recommended approval with clarifying changes; a pending amendment listed as offered by Ald. Bauman would exempt the Forest County Potawatomi's existing Data Holdings facility (3135 W. Highland Blvd.). SCHEDULE (Journal Sentinel): ZND Committee 2026-10-06; Common Council expected 2026-10-13. HISTORY: committee review delayed in July after the city attorney's office questioned legality for lack of a public hearing. SEPARATE PROPOSAL (not acted on): zoning framework banning data centers over 60,000 sq ft, allowing <20,000 sq ft in industrial-heavy zones, and requiring BOZA approval plus demand, noise and community-benefit reports for 20,000-60,000 sq ft. Urban Milwaukee (Sept. 30) reports the Bauman exemption amendment previously appeared in the legislative file but is no longer included. BizTimes says the ordinance had 'already passed through' the ZND Committee, which conflicts with the Journal Sentinel's Oct. 6 ZND date; the Journal Sentinel schedule is used. Commissioners Bloomingdale and Crane were excused. NOT ESTABLISHED: Common Council file number.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Milwaukee, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | City of Milwaukee proposed data center moratorium ordinance (Plan Commission Sept. 28, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located sources |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | City Plan Commission advances one-year data center moratorium — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
More AI rules in Milwaukee, WI
- Milwaukee PD Facial Recognition Halt · Proposed / pending
- Milwaukee Police Department self-imposed moratorium on facial… · In effect
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
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.