Wisconsin town becomes first to restrict data centers as pushback grows nationwide

Voters in Port Washington, Wisconsin, overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure requiring public consent for city leaders to grant tax incentives exceeding $10 million to developers. The referendum, which passed with approximately 66% approval, was championed by local residents and the anti-data center group Great Lakes Neighbors United. This initiative follows significant local opposition to a proposed $15 billion artificial intelligence campus by Vantage Data Centers, in collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle, which is part of the Trump administration’s "Stargate" initiative to expand AI infrastructure. Michael Beaster of Great Lakes Neighbors United emphasized the desire for greater public input on such projects, telling Fox 6 that while projects can happen, voter involvement would lead to stronger outcomes. The Port Washington vote highlights a broader national trend of increasing resistance to data center expansion, driven by concerns over rising energy prices, noise pollution, water consumption, and a lack of transparency from developers and local governments. Examples of this pushback include grassroots efforts in Frederick County, Maryland, to hold a referendum on data center zoning plans, and proposed legislation in Maine to ban data centers until November 2027. The intensity of the opposition was underscored by an incident in Indianapolis, where a city councilman's home was shot at days after he voted for a new data center, with a "no data centers" note left at the scene. These developments coincide with reports from the Electric Power Research Institute, which forecasts that data centers could consume 9%-17% of U.S. electricity by 2030, a significant increase from current levels. Furthermore, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced a bill calling for a halt to data center construction until restrictions on artificial intelligence are enacted.