Wisconsin to review environmental cost of data centers
Wisconsin environmental regulators will review the environmental effects of data center development statewide as part of a settlement involving a lawsuit over the Lighthouse data center campus in Port Washington. The lawsuit alleged that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved permits for the campus without adequately reviewing its environmental impacts.
Wisconsin environmental regulators will conduct a statewide review of the environmental effects and cumulative impacts of AI data center development under a settlement reached in October. The agreement followed a lawsuit filed by Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of the Sierra Club against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The lawsuit challenged permits issued for Vantage Data Centers’ Lighthouse data center campus in Port Washington, alleging that the DNR had not completed an environmental review. Attorney Michael Greif said the settlement creates an opportunity to examine data center impacts across Wisconsin rather than only at the Port Washington project.