Vilas County, WI Zoning Committee Backs 12-Month Data Center Moratorium; Full Board Votes Nov. 10

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The Vilas County Zoning and Planning Committee voted unanimously to support an ordinance that would install a temporary, 12-month moratorium on permitting and development of data centers, battery energy storage systems, and certain solar energy systems during a public hearing held Sept. 23. About 20 people were in attendance.

Zoning Administrator Dave Sadenwasser said there has been no contact by developers or operators looking to place these structures in the county, that these types of centers cannot be banned on a permanent basis under state law, and that the moratorium cannot exceed 24 months. Town of Washington resident Nancy Moriarity said that with not much in place legislatively, it is “kind of the Wild West out there.” The full Vilas County Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed ordinance on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Other county moratoria: 2026-09-23–marshall-county-ia-six-month-data-center-moratorium-unanimous-vote, 2026-09-22–pima-county-az-120-day-data-center-moratorium.

Sources & Citations

[1] Zoning committee approves 12-month data center moratorium — WXPR · Oct 1, 2026 Tier 2

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Cite this entry

The Cascade Ledger. “Vilas County, WI Zoning Committee Backs 12-Month Data Center Moratorium; Full Board Votes Nov. 10.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, September 23, 2026. https://capturecascade.org/event/2026-09-23--vilas-county-wi-zoning-committee-backs-12-month-data-center-moratorium/