Environmental Groups Sue City of Racine for Public Records on Water Use at Mount Pleasant Data Center

MADISON, Wis.— Today, Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA) filed a legal action on behalf of Milwaukee Riverkeeper in Racine County Circuit Court to enforce Wisconsin’s Public Records Law by compelling the City of Racine to turn over information related to projected water use at Microsoft’s massive Mount Pleasant data center.

The complaint stems from the City of Racine’s failure to respond to a February 2025 public records request submitted by Milwaukee Riverkeeper.

MEA Legal Fellow Michael Greif said, “Wisconsin law requires public officials to respond to public records requests ‘as soon as practicable and without delay.’ Yet more than six months after making their request, our clients are still waiting. This blatant disregard for the Public Records Law violates their rights and deprives them of the transparency they deserve. Community members have a right to know how much water a data center will use before it is built.”

Tech companies like Microsoft are rushing to build “hyperscale” data centers in Wisconsin. These facilities use enormous amounts of energy and water, with major implications for ratepayers, communities, and the environment. A hyperscale data center can use as much water as a small to medium-sized city.

Cheryl Nenn, the Riverkeeper at Milwaukee Riverkeeper said, “Data centers will have major implications for Wisconsin’s environment. Our ability to understand the impacts and protect our water resources depends on open and transparent government.”

The first phase of Microsoft’s data center campus in Mount Pleasant is currently under construction, with subsequent phases planned. Water for the data center will come from Lake Michigan and will be supplied by the Racine Water Utility under an agreement with the Village of Mount Pleasant.

Data center developers like Microsoft often sign non-disclosure agreements with local governments. Researchers in Virginia found that at least 80% of local governments that approved or were considering data center projects had signed NDAs with the companies involved. These agreements can limit public access to information needed to understand and evaluate the potential impacts of proposed data centers — a practice critics say undermines local democracy and accountability.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.