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Regbase

The Data Center Divide

Manitowoc County

This restriction takes precedence while in effect. The rating below excludes temporary restrictions.

Pro-Data Center Policies

Manitowoc County adopted an 18-month moratorium on data centers with more than 1 petabyte of capacity, delaying covered projects; it is temporary, not a permanent ban.

Rating from Wisconsin statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Manitowoc County.

Specific to Manitowoc County only.

current law · County measure: Unincorporated areas subject to Manitowoc County zoning
Identifies Manitowoc County Ordinance 2026/2028-10 as a data center moratorium adopted by the County Board on April 28, 2026, but the available material does not provide the ordinance’s operative provisions, scope, duration, exceptions, affected parties, or legal requirements (adopted ordinance).Manitowoc County Ordinance 2026/2028-10 (2026) — Data Center Moratorium

What this means

The County Board adopted a data-center moratorium, with the minutes recording an 18-month period and a threshold of more than 1 petabyte of data capacity (moratorium amendments). That would substantially delay covered projects from moving forward, though the measure is temporary rather than a permanent ban.

Timing

The County Board minutes confirm adoption of an ordinance enacting a data-center moratorium but do not state its duration or expiration. Mishicot’s petition requested a one-year moratorium, potentially extendable for six months; the available sources do not confirm that these terms were adopted.

People behind it

  • Adopted Resolution 2026-01 and petitioned the Manitowoc County Board to impose a data-center moratorium and develop county standards.

  • Enacted Ordinance 2026/2028-10, establishing the county moratorium.

  • Moved to enact the county data-center moratorium ordinance.

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  • Seconded the motion to enact the county data-center moratorium ordinance.

  • Moved an amendment defining covered data centers to include facilities capable of managing more than one petabyte of data.

  • Moved an amendment changing the moratorium period from 12 to 18 months.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1

  • The County Board adopted a data-center moratorium. As amended, its scope includes facilities capable of managing more than 1 petabyte of data, and the minutes record a change from “12” to “18” in the ordinance; they do not show the surrounding text or unit for that change. The Town’s petition specifies a pause on applications, consideration, and permits for placement or construction of data centers not already approved, for one year with a possible six-month extension, but the minutes do not confirm those exact terms in the adopted ordinance. The moratorium was adopted as amended and the ordinance was amended; the Town petition describes the proposed permit pause.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1

  • The moratorium’s definition was amended to cover data centers capable of managing more than 1 petabyte of data, leaving facilities with a capacity of 1 petabyte or less outside that threshold.

Sources

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