The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
Portage County
Pro-Data Center Policies
Wisconsin offers certified data centers a sales-tax exemption on qualifying construction, equipment, operations, and electricity, provided they meet county-dependent investment minimums within five years. The source also describes the enacted law as a proposed measure, creating a conflict in its descriptions.
Rating and summary from Wisconsin statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Portage County.
Specific to Portage County only.
pending · Unincorporated areasDiscusses draft, nonbinding standards for data centers as a locally unwanted land use alongside utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems; [the standards remained under development](https://portagecowi.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=18951,plainText=false) and were subject to further review and refinement.Portage County Zoning Subcommittee Meeting Notes — July 1, 2026 (Draft Data Center Standards)
People behind it
- Foth
Consultant responsible for preparing the draft Land Division and Development Ordinance and refining zoning standards.
- Portage County Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Advisory Committee
Advisory body reviewing and guiding the zoning ordinance rewrite.
- Portage County Planning and Zoning Committee
County committee responsible for reviewing and recommending land-division measures and participating in ordinance administration and enforcement.
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- Portage County Board of Supervisors
County governing body responsible for adopting the ordinance.
- Zoning Administrator
County official designated to administer the Land Division and Development Ordinance.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1
Data centers were identified for proposed locally unwanted land-use standards, and the committee generally favored requiring intensive uses such as data centers to rezone into a separate zoning district before obtaining conditional-use approval.
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions3
The draft contemplates creating a separate zoning district for intensive land uses, including data centers, rather than requiring them to remain conditional uses in existing districts. This could provide a dedicated zoning pathway, although the proposal is not final and may require comprehensive-plan updates and additional administrative work.
The project team is directed to continue refining standards specifically for data centers, along with utility-scale solar and battery-storage facilities. Having dedicated standards could establish clearer development requirements for data-center proposals, but the standards remain under development.
The committee favored maintaining strong local standards for intensive land uses even when a project may ultimately be reviewed through the Public Service Commission process, because those standards may strengthen local participation in that review. This could preserve local input for qualifying projects, but it is a policy discussion rather than a finalized approval guarantee.
Sources
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