Dane County, WI — 18-Month Moratorium on Hyperscale Data Centers
Dane County, WI · Dane County, WI 18-month hyperscale data-center moratorium (June 4, 2026)
Dane County, Wisconsin (home to Madison) approved an 18-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers (defined as 5,000+ servers and 10,000+ sq ft) in the 26 unincorporated county towns subject to county zoning authority, while officials draft permanent regulations.
Technical detail
Dane County Board unanimously voted June 4, 2026; County Executive Agard signed. The 18-month moratorium on hyperscale data-center permitting covers areas under county zoning (26 towns; does not apply to villages, cities, or 6 towns with self-zoning). Threshold: at least 5,000 servers and 10,000 sq ft. Term: 18 months from June 4, 2026 (~December 4, 2027) or until permanent regulations adopted, whichever first.
Who is protected: Dane County residents and ratepayers in the 26 county-zoned unincorporated towns
Who must comply: Hyperscale data-center developers (5,000+ servers, 10,000+ sq ft) seeking zoning approvals in county-zoned areas of Dane County, WI
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Dane County, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2026-06-04 |
| Enacted | 2026-06-04 |
| Citation | Dane County, WI 18-month hyperscale data-center moratorium (June 4, 2026) |
| Enforced by | Dane County / Planning & Development |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Permit/application denial during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-24 |
| Official source | Dane County Board approves data center moratorium — Isthmus ↗ |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- SB 484 (FL Data Center Costs) · In effect
- Maine Data Center Moratorium (vetoed) · Vetoed
- VA Data Center Siting Bill (Vetoed) · Vetoed
- VA Data Center Tax Exemption · In effect
- VA Data Center Cost-Allocation Law · In effect
- Texas SB 6 (Data Center Grid Law) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction — every entry must carry a verifiable official source.