This local data center backs Milwaukee's data center moratorium
Data Holdings, a Milwaukee colocation data center owned by the Potawatomi tribe, supports the city’s one-year moratorium on new data center development. The company’s chief technology officer says hyperscale facilities raise concerns about water use, electricity demand and long-term community impacts, while describing Data Holdings as a smaller, water-efficient alternative.
Data Holdings Chief Technology Officer and General Manager Ryan Brooks said the Milwaukee company supports the city’s one-year pause on new data center development. He distinguished the tribal-owned, 46,000-square-foot colocation facility from hyperscale projects proposed or under construction elsewhere in southeastern Wisconsin, saying large facilities consume far more power and can place pressure on communities and utilities.
Brooks also cited Data Holdings’ glycol-based cooling system, which does not evaporate water, as an example of more environmentally conscious design. He said the company agrees with residents’ concerns about hyperscale data centers, including drinking-water use, electricity demand and potential rate increases after Public Service Commission-approved utility hikes, while acknowledging that large facilities bring construction and manufacturing activity to the region.