Wisconsin Rapids residents oppose PNK data center as city considers moratorium
Residents in Wisconsin Rapids are organizing against PNK’s proposed data center at a former paper mill site, citing concerns about jobs, electricity, water, environmental impacts and transparency. City leaders voted to have staff draft a 12-month moratorium on future data center operations, but the pause would not apply to PNK’s current proposal.
Opposition to PNK’s proposed data center at the former Wisconsin Rapids paper mill has intensified, with residents filling public meetings, distributing anti-data-center signs and collecting more than 250 signatures for a recall effort targeting a local elected official. Residents say the site should support a development that creates more jobs and raises fewer concerns about electricity, water, environmental effects and the community’s economic future. Mayor Matt Zacher warned that the dispute could divide the city.
Following a contentious August meeting, Wisconsin Rapids officials voted to have city staff draft a 12-month moratorium on future data center operations. The proposed moratorium would not affect PNK’s active project, which is proceeding through a conditional use permit process. The story also places the local fight in a broader statewide context: a Marquette University Law School poll found 74% of Wisconsin voters believe data center costs outweigh benefits, although only about 5% identify the issue as their top election concern.