Letter | Candidates must get vocal about data center moratoriums
An opinion piece urges gubernatorial candidates in Wisconsin to support a moratorium on data center construction. The author highlights widespread voter concerns about data centers' impact on land use, water consumption, and increased electricity demands, suggesting the current Legislature has failed to address these issues effectively.
An opinion piece published in The Capital Times urges gubernatorial candidates to publicly support a moratorium on data center construction in Wisconsin. The author states that a clear majority of state voters are concerned about data centers consuming large amounts of land and water, and exponentially increasing electricity use from fossil fuels.
The letter criticizes the Legislature for failing to agree on terms to control these impacts. It argues that voters want candidates to take time to address the problems and draft regulations that ensure positive outcomes, rather than having citizens fight well-resourced developers on short notice. So far, only one Democratic candidate has called for such a moratorium, and the author believes all remaining candidates should follow suit.