The Hobart Village Board approved a 12-month moratorium on artificial intelligence data center developments on June 7.
The village’s moratorium, which passed on a 4-1 vote, gives it a calendar year to decide on what regulations they want to have set in place for potential AI facilities.
Members of the board said this moratorium does not represent a stance on being in favor or against AI data center projects.
During the public comment portion, which lasted nearly an hour and a half, neighbors brought up their concerns regarding AI data centers including environmental effects, noise, water usage, health concerns, pollution and energy usage.
Others in attendance were against the moratorium and said these data centers are a positive business opportunity for the area, built on consumer needs and this one-year moratorium would discourage one from ever being built in Hobart.
Village Administrator Aaron Kramer said he and his staff have already put together 15-page draft of what the ordinance will look like. He said he hopes to have the draft to the village’s Planning and Zoning Commission in August or September for review.
“I don’t think we’re going to take 12 months at all,” Village Board president Rich Heidel said. “But I do know we’ve got to do something. We got to be smart about this.”
Heidel said the temporary moratorium gives them time and opportunity to figure out what regulations and rules they need to set in place before allowing an AI data center to break ground in the village.
Hobart’s moratorium comes after a patchwork approach has been adopted for AI data centers across Brown County.
A unanimous decision by the Brown County’s Planning, Development & Transportation Committee members was made on June 2, to not instate a countywide data center moratorium. This leaves the regulation of these facilities up to the local governments of the cities, villages and towns in Brown County.
What is a data center?
According to the passed moratorium:
Kathryn Byrnes is a reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at kbyrnes@gannett.com or 920-431-8526.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Hobart Village Board votes on moratorium for AI data centers
Reporting by Kathryn Byrnes, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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By Kathryn Byrnes, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
