The Data Center Stampede Is On, and Wisconsin Is Not Prepared

Madison, WI – We now know the identity of the “Very Large Customer” WE Energies used to justify the need for a new, highly unpopular Oak Creek methane power plant – it’s Microsoft. The global tech conglomerate is in the process of purchasing 244 acres of land – most of it previously owned by WEC Energy Group – for a massive data center in the Village of Caledonia dubbed “Project Nova.” The site is adjacent to the existing Oak Creek Power Plant and the as-yet unbuilt methane plant. Microsoft is now seeking rezoning from the Village.

The announcement that Microsoft was behind this new data center comes just days after overwhelming public opposition led to Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack putting a stop to a proposed data center in Monroe County. On September 9, before residents even knew who was going to build the new data center in Caledonia, over a dozen residents spoke out against it. Despite this public backlash, there are at least 43 data centers across Wisconsin already and more are being proposed all the time. The data center stampede is on – and Wisconsin is woefully unprepared.

WE Energies customers have been saddled with numerous rate increases in recent years. Because of developments like Project Nova, as well as the company’s continued reliance on fossil fuels over cheaper, renewable alternatives, that is unlikely to change any time soon. A new report from Clean Wisconsin found that just two data center projects – the Microsoft project in Mount Pleasant and the Vantage project in Port Washington – will require more energy to operate than every home in Wisconsin combined.

It’s not just power consumption that is a worry for data centers, it’s also the tremendous water use that’s required. According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, hyperscale data centers can consume between 1 and 5 million gallons per day for evaporative cooling. 1 million gallons is as much water as 12,000 Americans would use in a typical year. Even the water that is not consumed in the cooling process is at risk for contamination.

We must develop a statewide plan for data centers that prioritizes the needs of our neighbors and its impact on the environment and our communities before the profit margins of private utilities and big tech companies. If we don’t, the data center stampede will likely continue unabated, and in its wake may very well be a Wisconsin we no longer recognize – one that has abandoned its tradition of protecting our air, water, and land for future generations.

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.