Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge moratorium as county hears data‑center briefing from UW–Madison specialist
Summary
Residents told the county board that data centers could risk local water and urged a 12–18 month moratorium. UW–Madison specialist Carl Green presented technical background on data‑center types, energy and water use, and local regulatory tools including zoning and conditional uses.
Residents and board members pressed the Ashland County Board on how to respond to potential data‑center development after an informational presentation by Carl Green, a community planning specialist at UW–Madison.
At the start of public comment, Otis, a resident of Ashland, urged the board to impose at least a 12‑ to 18‑month moratorium on data‑center approvals so the county could study potential harms and regulatory responses. “These closed loop systems that data centers use…often introduce PFAS additives to the water,” Otis said, asking the board to pause while officials evaluate impacts to local wastewater systems and drinking water. Dawn Bergland and Em Cardenas backed Otis’s request and asked for a participatory public process if zoning changes are considered.
Green gave a technical overview of data‑center types, noting a wide range from small telecommunications “edge” facilities to hyperscale campuses that can exceed 100 megawatts of capacity. He told the board that energy use, cooling systems and the choice between evaporative (water dependent) and compressor cooling greatly affect local impacts. “A lot of the horror stories that we're hearing about with the volume of water is because data centers can use water and evaporate that as a cooling process,” Green said, then emphasized that water and environmental impacts depend on the center’s type and local infrastructure.
Board members asked whether a moratorium is a viable local tool and how zoning, annexation and state incentives interact with local authority. Green cautioned that county zoning only controls unincorporated areas when counties have comprehensive zoning and that municipalities with home‑rule authority can annex and apply their own zoning; he also noted a state sales/use tax exemption enacted in 2023 has incentivized some projects. He recommended reviewing existing zoning definitions and development standards, and using conditional permits, development agreements and facility plans to address water, energy and reclamation issues.
The presentation and comments ended with staff noting additional informational sessions and planning and zoning committees likely to consider the issue; no county moratorium or formal regulatory change was adopted during this meeting.
