Sierra Club report warns of Wisconsin’s dependence on ‘dirty’ power generation
A Sierra Club report claims Wisconsin's reliance on fossil fuels for power, intensified by the energy demands of massive data centers, poses a significant threat to the state's natural resources. The report highlights massive water withdrawal for power generation, exceeding municipal and agricultural use, and the potential for new gas plants to exacerbate water and energy strain. The Sierra Club advocates for a halt to fossil fuel and gas plant expansion to protect Wisconsin's environment.
The Sierra Club has released a new report, "Thirsty Power: Coal and gas will leave us high and dry," which critically analyzes Wisconsin's dependence on fossil fuels for power generation and its severe implications for the state's natural resources. The report specifically ties this issue to the increasing energy demands of "hyperscale" data centers and the potential construction of new gas plants to power them.
The report's findings indicate that Wisconsin's current "dirty energy power fleet," comprising coal, gas, and nuclear plants, withdraws an astonishing 1.34 trillion gallons of water annually. This volume is more than seven times the water used by all municipalities in Wisconsin combined and 18 times that of agricultural irrigation. It further warns that five new gas plants, either known or assumed to be proposed for data centers, would consume an additional 142 million gallons of water per year on average, straining resources, particularly during peak summer months exacerbated by drought and heat.
Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter, stated that while data center operators claim new closed-loop systems will conserve water, the overall impact would still tax water resources. She emphasized that "Water is our way of life in Wisconsin, but our dependency on fossil fuels for power generation drains our most precious resource." Ward called for an immediate halt to the "fossil fuel and gas rush" to safeguard Wisconsin's water, environment, and economy from the enormous potential costs.