Draft Data Center Regulation Framework Public Meeting Scheduled for October 27

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The City of Madison's Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development will hold a public information meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to update community members on a draft framework for proposed zoning regulations for data centers within city limits. 

The meeting will be held virtually on Zoom beginning at 5:30pm. Registration will be required to receive a link to the meeting. The meeting will be recorded and the video will be added to the City of Madison's informational page on the data center moratorium. 

Register to Attend

The draft regulation framework is the result of several months of research done during the City of Madison's data center moratorium, which was approved by the Common Council on January 13, 2026. The moratorium paused – for up to one year – zoning approvals for new data centers larger than 10,000 square feet that are the primary use of the property to allow staff time to develop zoning and land use regulations for data centers. The City's zoning code previously did not have a definition for "data center" as a land use and, as a result, data centers were classified as telecommunications centers, an outdated use without the regulations needed to manage the impacts of a data center.  

The draft framework creates a new definition for data center in the zoning code and aims to create responsible regulations for data centers based on the concerns of the community while acknowledging the needs of businesses and organizations in the city that rely on smaller data centers and on-site server rooms to support their day-to-day operations. The draft framework also proposes a size limit on data centers as a way to manage impacts, and as a result, would not allow so-called "hyperscale" data centers and data center campuses.  

The creation of zoning and land use regulations for data centers does not guarantee that additional data centers will be built within the City of Madison. It means that if a new one were to be proposed, it would have to follow clearly defined rules and regulations laid out in the City's Zoning Code. 

Additional details about the draft framework being recommended by City staff are below, but it is important to understand what cities in Wisconsin can – and cannot – legally do in terms of creating regulations on data centers. These considerations were outlined in previous public information and committee meetings. 

What Can't the City Regulate? 

The City of Madison does not have the legal authority to regulate: 

  • Water usage 
  • Energy usage 
  • Energy sources 
  • Energy rates and energy rate impacts on residents 
  • State building code requirements 

The City's zoning code also cannot differentiate between data centers used to support AI models and data centers used for other purposes, like private servers, cloud storage or applications, or other technology needs for individuals or businesses. 

What Can the City Regulate? 

  • Land uses within a zoning district 
  • Building size 
  • Lot size 
  • Lot coverage (how much of the lot is occupied by the primary land use) 
  • Setbacks from lot lines and other adjacent land uses 

The City regulates other concerns that are common to data centers such as noise, lighting, stormwater and sewer discharge quality. These impacts are regulated by other local codes, so the scope of the work done during the moratorium has been focused on zoning and land use regulations to set baseline standards.

Draft Zoning Regulation Framework 

NOTE: These are draft recommendations and may change before they are introduced as ordinance text or adopted by the Common Council. This regulation framework would apply to new data centers that are a principal and primary use of a property. 

  • Three data center types will be defined, each with specific zoning requirements based on size: Small Data Center, Medium Data Center, and Large Data Center. Hyperscale data centers (data centers larger than 100,000 square feet) would not be allowed in the City of Madison. More information on specific definitions and additional zoning requirements for these data center types can be found on the City's Data Center Moratorium FAQ webpage. 
  • A data center will only be allowed to be in a single building and only one data center building will be allowed on a property. Data center "campuses" (multiple smaller data centers on one lot) will not be allowed. 
  • A "data center map" will be added to the zoning code that creates a buffer between where a Large Data Center may be allowed and residential areas, areas planned for residential uses in the future, and parks and open space. This map has not yet been finalized.

Additional Public Participation Opportunities 

In addition to the virtual public information meeting being held on October 27, this proposed regulation framework will also be presented for informational discussions and public comment at the Sustainable Madison Committee on October 19 and the Business and Economic Resources Committee on October 21 before proposed ordinance text is drafted and introduced to the Common Council. 

After a proposed ordinance text is formally introduced, it will be referred back to the Plan Commission, Sustainable Madison Committee and the Business and Economic Resources Committee for consideration. Each of those meetings will also provide additional opportunities for public comment. The proposal will be under final consideration by the Common Council before the one-year moratorium expires on January 24, 2027. The last Common Council meeting scheduled before that date is January 12, 2027. 

More Information and Resources

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