La Crosse, Wisconsin, is advancing a proposal for an 18-month break on new data center development while officials gather the data needed to make a wise decision.
The council wants to consider what large facilities could mean for the area's power use, water supply, air quality, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Backers of the proposal say the temporary stop would give city and county officials time to decide whether major data centers should be allowed, limited, or subject to stricter rules.
What's happening?
The proposal cleared the La Crosse City Plan Commission on August 3, moving forward a plan that would temporarily block new data center development for 18 months, according to WKBT.
The city would stop issuing new permits for data center construction during that period while officials review the projects' possible environmental, economic, and health impacts.
Under the ordinance summarized by WKBT, the moratorium would cover facilities that store, process, retrieve, or distribute more than 1 petabyte of data or consume more than 2 megawatts of electricity. That means the focus is on large operations, not smaller server rooms or typical business IT spaces.
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La Crosse is considering the measure after La Crosse County took similar action in June 2026, when, WKBT noted, it adopted its own 18-month moratorium for unincorporated areas and formed an ad hoc committee to examine the issue.
Why does it matter?
Data centers are taking on a bigger role in everyday life as more services rely on cloud storage, streaming, AI tools, and always-on digital systems. The buildings that support those services can put heavy demands on local infrastructure.
According to WKBT, the ordinance points to concerns such as electrical connections and overall power demand, along with electromagnetic fields, noise pollution, air quality, water resources, water use, and fire hazards.
What's being done?
WKBT said the next step is a public hearing before the Judiciary & Administration Committee on August 5 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 400 La Crosse Street.
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The La Crosse Common Council is then expected to consider the matter on August 13 at 6 p.m., also in the Council Chambers. If council members approve the moratorium, it would take effect immediately.
If enacted, the moratorium would stay in place for 18 months unless the city council ends it sooner by rescinding it, adopting zoning code changes recommended by the county's ad hoc committee, or approving amendments from city staff.
Public hearings and council votes are often the best opportunities for community members to ask how industrial development could affect utility costs, land use, neighborhood conditions, and planning.
Framing the proposal as an information-gathering step, Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey said: "This is us saying we want to gather information to make sure we're making well-informed decisions if we move towards accepting or not accepting a data center. But at least we would have the data and the knowledge to be able to make a wise decision."
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