Vilas County WI proposed 12-month data center moratorium (2026)
Vilas County, WI — Proposed 12-Month Moratorium on Data Centers, Solar Farms and Battery Storage Sent to County Board for November 10 Vote (September 2026)
Vilas County, WI · Vilas County, Wis. — proposed 12-month data center/solar/BESS moratorium ordinance (county board vote Nov. 10, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Developers of data centers, solar farms and battery storage in county-zoned areas, if adopted
- Enforced by
- Vilas County Zoning Department
Vilas County is considering a 12-month moratorium covering data centers, solar farms and battery energy storage systems so the zoning department can research their impacts and write regulations. The county's Planning and Zoning Committee held a public hearing and voted to send the ordinance to the full county board, which is scheduled to vote on November 10. It follows a one-year moratorium adopted by neighboring Oneida County.
Who is protected: Vilas County residents
Legal detail
Proposed zoning ordinance: 12-month pause on 'any datacenters or solar farms or battery energy storage systems' (Zoning Administrator David Sadenwasser) to allow research and regulation, and to see how the state regulates data centers. Planning and Zoning Committee public hearing at a Wednesday-morning meeting (WJFW report dated 2026-09-23); four residents spoke; committee voted to forward to the county board; board vote set for 2026-11-10. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number; size thresholds; exemptions; whether it reaches towns with their own zoning.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Vilas County, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Citation | Vilas County, Wis. — proposed 12-month data center/solar/BESS moratorium ordinance (county board vote Nov. 10, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | None — proposed |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Vilas County eyes 12-month moratorium on data centers — WJFW |
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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