More Than 1,000 Wisconsinites Sign Open Letter to Microsoft

People from across Wisconsin are joining environmental and health advocates to call on Microsoft to power its new AI data center with local clean energy. Right now, We Energies is planning to meet data center demand by spending billions on new gas power plants and pipelines, a move that will push Wisconsin’s climate goals out of reach, locking the state into 30 more years of fossil fuels at a time when we must rapidly transition to clean energy.

Last month, more than a dozen environmental and health groups wrote an open letter to Microsoft calling to the company to commit to powering its data center with clean solar and wind developed in Wisconsin. Since then, more than 1,000 Wisconsin residents have signed on.

“Please spare us excuses. There is no acceptable reason to choose anything but clean energy,” wrote Kenosha resident Joan Bojarski to Microsoft. “It’s appalling that this is even a conversation … It would be abhorrent for Microsoft to become part of our community simply to hasten its demise and harm its citizenry.”

Wisconsinites who signed the letter are urging the tech giant to take more responsibility for the intensive energy demands of its data center.

“By choosing clean energy, Microsoft can lead the way in sustainable business practices,” wrote Milwaukee resident Barbara Haig.

“My biggest concern is energy usage,” wrote Melissa Warner of Racine. “All energy needs must be met without carbon-based fuels. No coal, no oil, no natural gas. Solar, water, wind, geothermal.”

“Clean energy is a responsibility for all of us,” Racine resident Barbara Fogarty wrote. “We have invested in solar panels for our home. I feel that businesses should take the initiative to do the same for their businesses.”

Microsoft has long touted its commitment to clean energy, and recently announced plans to help fund a 250-megawatt solar project in Wisconsin. But that project represents just a fraction of the data center’s energy needs, and We Energies is moving quickly to gain approval of gas expansion plans.

Those plans moved Bojarski to call out We Energies specifically in her comment to Microsoft.

“We Energies, I have always thought of you as part of our community. Is my trust and loyalty misplaced? Will you deliberately hurt us?” wrote Bojarski. “If you feel the dirty fuel is best, pipe the exhaust into your own homes and offices. Not our community.”

To view the letter and sign on, visit cleanwisconsin.org/microsoft.

Full quotes and comments we received:

Dear Microsoft and We Energies-

Wisconsin state goals for a carbon neutral electrical system have been set and it appears that a pathway that includes more fossil gas as peakers does not serve that goal.   As responsible parties please choose a path that includes making and saving electricity with technology that does not burn fuel.

Sincerely-
John Hermanson
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

The health risks, financial strain on ratepayers, and negative impact on green job growth make it clear: we must transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources now. Microsoft has a tremendous opportunity to power its massive new data center with local clean energy, helping to protect our state’s clean energy future while easing the long-term cost burden on ratepayers. We need a more forward-thinking energy plan that aligns with Wisconsin’s clean energy goals and continues to build our clean energy economy.

John Imes
Cofounder & Director
WEI

Clean energy is a responsibility for all of us. We have invested in solar panels for our home. I feel that businesses should take the initiative to do the same for their businesses.
Thank you.
Barbara Fogarty, Racine

By choosing clean energy, Microsoft can lead the way in sustainable business practices. As Wisconsin native Gaylord Nelson said, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.”
Barb Haig, Milwaukee

My biggest concern is energy usage.

All energy needs must be met without carbon-based fuels.  No coal, no oil, no natural gas. Solar, water, wind, geothermal.
Melissa Warner
Racine

As an anthropological archaeologist researching how people have lived here in Wisconsin for 15,000 years, I call on Microsoft to recognize and follow the clean energy practices that respect and prolong our heritage.
Alice B. Kehoe, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, emeritus, Marquette University

Dirty fuel. It is baffling that a request needs to be made to you with all of the evidence laying bare. When a bad choice is made while having the luxury of hindsight and scientific evidence, it begs several obvious and ominous questions. Please spare us excuses – there is no acceptable reason to choose anything but clean energy. Stunned that ethical standards need to be demanded. It’s appalling that this is even a conversation.

What could possibly motivate a premeditated devastatingly harmful choice?  It would be abhorrent for Microsoft to become part of our community simply to hasten its demise and harm its citizenry. We Energies – I have always thought of you as part of our community. Is my trust and loyalty misplaced? Will you deliberately hurt us? If you feel the dirty fuel is best, pipe the exhaust into your own homes and offices. Not our community.

That was my human statement.

You are businesses so I will speak to that as well. Choosing dirty fuel with cost effective clean alternatives easily made available – knowing the detrimental effects to the health and wellbeing of climate, natural resources, human and animal health, through extensive, reliable and accepted science – would be much more than negligent. Here’s a few more well-suited words. Premeditated, depraved indifference, intentional tort, physical harm, emotional harm, financial harm, injury, loss, damage. We may be simple folks in your eyes, probably true, but stupid we are not.
Sincerely,
Joan Bojarski (Kenosha)

The optimal solution in my opinion would be to employ a backup type system as a primary.  Said system could employ various methods of generating electricity including geothermal and wind.  Of course this is far more expensive although excess power would be an income source as well. In this example power grid outages would be a non factor. Brian Radke

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.