Wrightstown Residents Oppose Potential Data Center Project
Residents of Wrightstown, Wisconsin are voicing strong opposition to a potential hyperscale data center project by Cloverleaf Infrastructure, despite no formal proposal being submitted. Village officials are holding listening sessions to gather community feedback and are investigating how to tighten local ordinances to protect the area. Concerns include environmental impacts, loss of farmland, and a perceived lack of transparency.
Residents in the village of Wrightstown, Wisconsin, located northeast of Appleton, are actively opposing a potential hyperscale data center development, even though no formal proposal has yet been submitted to the village. The proposed developer, Cloverleaf Infrastructure, has been in communication with Wrightstown officials since January 2026, exploring sites in northeast Wisconsin and using agreements from a Port Washington data center project as a template.
Wrightstown Village Board President Dean Erickson stated that no official proposal is currently before them, but assured residents that their feedback from community listening sessions would be considered. However, emails obtained through an open records request show significant preliminary engagement between Village Administrator Travis Coenen and Cloverleaf representatives like Aaron Bilyeu, Chief Development Officer, and Travis Armistead, Project Development Manager, indicating the company's strong interest in the area. Coenen's emails also referenced other communities where Cloverleaf's projects had not progressed well.
During community listening sessions, residents like Roland Schmidt and Marinette resident Andi Rich expressed fervent opposition, citing environmental concerns, the irreversible loss of farmland, and transparency issues. Village Board Trustee Sue Byers also indicated the village's intent to research and potentially tighten local ordinances to regulate data centers, aiming to protect Wrightstown from less restrictive zoning in neighboring areas. Cloverleaf Infrastructure confirmed it is still seeking development opportunities in Northeast Wisconsin and has had preliminary conversations with several communities, including Wrightstown.