Data center CEO hears complaints from Dowagiac community amidst ongoing lawsuit, expansion plans
Hundreds of Dowagiac residents attended a city council meeting to voice complaints against the Hyperscale data center regarding noise, land acquisition, and lack of transparency. The company's CEO, Will Horne, addressed concerns and announced a shift from cryptocurrency mining to AI computing, promising reduced noise and new jobs, but residents remained skeptical, especially given an ongoing class action lawsuit.
A public meeting of the Dowagiac City Council addressed ongoing complaints against the Hyperscale data center, which has been operating a Bitcoin mining facility for five years. Hundreds of residents attended to express skepticism about the company's operations and recent acquisition of over 48 acres of land, citing noise pollution and a perceived lack of transparency.
Hyperscale CEO Will Horne attended the meeting to address residents, stating his desire to be a good neighbor. However, the dialogue quickly grew tense, with residents questioning the benefits to the community. Horne announced that the company would cease all cryptocurrency mining operations within three months, transitioning to AI computing. He projected the creation of approximately 500 jobs and a significant reduction in noise levels from the facility. The company also offered to purchase homes on nearby Louise Avenue for residents still dissatisfied.
Residents, many of whom had previously filed a class action lawsuit in May against Hyperscale and its owner, Alliance Cloud Services, LLC, remained unconvinced. They referenced past violations of Dowagiac's noise ordinance and some found the offer to buy homes insulting. Mayor Patrick Bakeman had previously sent an open letter in April demanding better communication from the company. A local news channel noted its own struggles to get comments from Hyperscale over several months.