Environmental lawsuit filed over Port Washington data center

The Sierra Club, represented by Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA), has filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) concerning its environmental approval of Vantage Data Centers' project in Port Washington. The lawsuit alleges that DNR staff initially indicated a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would be required but later dropped this requirement after Vantage suggested it would "kill the project," according to public records. Michael Greif, an attorney for MEA, emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, stating that Wisconsinites deserve to know why the state altered its course on environmental review for one of the largest development projects in state history.

The $2.1 billion Port Washington data center is projected to consume as much electricity as the city of Los Angeles. A new report from the Public Service Commission estimates that Wisconsin's peak power demand will increase by 40% in the coming years, largely due to hyper-scale data center developments in locations like Beaver Dam, Port Washington, and Mount Pleasant. These data centers also benefit significantly from state tax incentives, including tax increment financing deals, with an estimated $1.5 billion in foregone state sales tax initially, which is expected to become $369 million annually once construction is completed.