Milwaukee’s City Plan Commission has unanimously backed a proposed one-year moratorium on new data centres and expansions, sending the measure to the city’s Zoning, Neighbourhoods and Development Committee for further consideration.
The vote on Monday, September 28, followed lengthy public testimony from residents, business owners and technology professionals. The proposed pause would remain in place for 12 months, or until Milwaukee’s zoning code is amended to define and regulate data centres.
The ordinance, sponsored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic and backed by several other council members, would prevent the city from accepting applications for the establishment or development of data centres during the moratorium.
Milwaukee’s existing zoning code does not specifically regulate the facilities. The legislation says a temporary halt is needed while officials establish rules covering their location, scale and potential effects on energy and water infrastructure, the environment and public health.
“Technology is moving at such a fast speed, the government can’t just keep up. We’re being asked to – and we need to – rise to the occasion,” Ms Dimitrijevic told the commission.
She said the moratorium was intended to give the city time to strengthen its regulatory framework rather than impose a permanent ban.
“We’ve been asked to ban this forever. That’s not something that’s within the governmental toolbox that we have, but what we do have is this one-year moratorium,” she said.
Support and opposition to Milwaukee data centre moratorium
Supporters told the meeting that data centres could place significant demands on electricity and water supplies, while generating noise, air pollution and other disruption for nearby communities.
“We’re not against development and big tech. But when it comes to data centres, without knowing the effects, there’s nothing wrong with putting a pause,” Stacy Smiter said during the public comment period.
Others warned that restricting development could make computing capacity more expensive and damage smaller technology companies that rely on artificial intelligence services.
Joel Roberts, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate student and owner of traffic analytics start-up Shepherd Traffic, spoke against the proposal. He said the resources provided by data centres and AI tools helped small businesses remain viable.
The debate comes after a developer abandoned plans this summer for a computing facility at part of the former Midtown shopping centre. The proposal had prompted concerns from residents about the possible impact of a data centre in the area.
Large-scale projects elsewhere in Wisconsin have also intensified scrutiny. Microsoft has completed one data centre in Mount Pleasant, in Racine County, while another is under construction. A major campus planned for Port Washington by Vantage Data Centers has faced questions over noise, dust, electricity and water consumption.
Ryan Brooks, chief technology officer and general manager of Data Holdings, a Milwaukee facility owned by the Forest County Potawatomi, said he supported the proposed legislation despite working in the sector.
He told commissioners that the company’s 46,000-square-foot facility uses no water, is supported by on-site solar power and has a smaller environmental footprint than larger developments.
The moratorium will now move through the city’s zoning process. The Zoning, Neighbourhoods and Development Committee is expected to consider the measure before it can proceed to the full Common Council.
