Van Orden highlights 'non-negotiables' for data centers at press conference

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien), who is seeking reelection in Wisconsin's Third Congressional District, held a press conference in Dunn County to discuss his stance on data center development. Standing before Wisconsin farmland, Van Orden emphasized the national security importance of data centers but outlined "strict provisions" for their construction in the state. These provisions include local control over development decisions, ratepayer protection, and the mandatory use of closed-loop, air-cooled cooling systems to minimize water consumption. He also suggested utilizing existing military bases, such as Fort McCoy, for data center sites, envisioning public-private partnerships on federally-owned land to avoid encroaching on farmlands.

Van Orden used the opportunity to critique his Democratic opponent, Rebecca Cooke, accusing her of supporting data center construction on "pristine Wisconsin farmland" in Mount Pleasant and Beaver Dam through organizations she previously worked for. He claimed Cooke's recent call for a moratorium on data centers, communicated through television ads in August, was a politically motivated shift in response to growing public unpopularity. He also questioned how communities would have a final say in data center developments under his proposal.

In response, Cooke asserted that Van Orden's criticism was an attempt to "rewrite his record" just weeks before the election, citing his vote for an $83 billion tax break for data center developers. She reaffirmed her long-standing advocacy for a data center moratorium and criticized Van Orden for not engaging with constituents on the issue through town halls. The exchange highlights the contentious political debate surrounding data center development in Wisconsin ahead of the November 3 election.