Madison, WI — One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers (>10,000 sq ft)
Madison, WI · City of Madison, WI one-year data-center moratorium (Feb. 2026)
Madison, Wisconsin's Common Council approved a one-year moratorium on issuing zoning approvals for new data centers larger than 10,000 sq ft while city staff develop permanent land-use and zoning standards for data-center uses.
Technical detail
City of Madison Common Council passed a temporary moratorium prohibiting issuance of zoning approvals for data centers or telecommunications centers with floor area >10,000 sq ft. The moratorium automatically ends when the city adopts permanent data-center zoning standards (before the one-year term expires). Only applies to principal or primary data-center uses. The city's DPCED office maintains an official page tracking the moratorium and rulemaking status.
Who is protected: Madison residents and ratepayers
Who must comply: Data-center developers seeking zoning approvals for facilities >10,000 sq ft within the City of Madison
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Madison, WI |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2026-02-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-02-01 |
| Citation | City of Madison, WI one-year data-center moratorium (Feb. 2026) |
| Enforced by | City of Madison Department of Planning & Community & Economic Development (DPCED) |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Zoning approval denial during the moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-24 |
| Official source | Madison passes temporary data center moratorium — Spectrum News 1 (Feb. 1, 2026) ↗ |
More AI rules in Madison, WI
- Madison Face Surveillance Ban · In effect
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
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