Resident voices concern over potential pollution from new data center in Ozaukee County
A Port Washington resident and Clean Wisconsin are raising concerns about potential air pollution and health impacts from the backup diesel generators at Vantage Data Centers' new Lighthouse campus in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. Clean Wisconsin's analysis estimates significant health harms due to the county's existing nonattainment status for air quality. Vantage Data Centers states its generators are for emergencies and testing, not routine power, and will comply with permit limits.
Colleen, a Port Washington resident living near the Vantage Data Centers site in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, has voiced significant health concerns regarding potential air pollution from the facility's backup diesel generators. Her worries are deeply personal, stemming from her husband's recent death from emphysema, a condition exacerbated by air quality issues. Colleen has attended town halls to speak with policymakers but feels her story is not being heard.
Clean Wisconsin, an environmental nonprofit, supports these concerns. Energy and Air Manager Ciaran Gallagher highlighted that Ozaukee County is a nonattainment area, failing to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants like ozone, which contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Clean Wisconsin's analysis suggests that the data center's diesel generators could add to this burden, estimating $100,000 in annual health harms within the county.
In response, Vantage Data Centers, through Vice President of Global Marketing Mark Freeman, clarified that their backup generators are primarily for reliability, safety, emergencies, and required testing and maintenance, not routine power. Freeman stated the company would comply with permit operating limits for the 45 generators approved in its draft Air Pollution Control Permit, detailing strict usage protocols for monthly maintenance, annual testing, and repairs. Clean Wisconsin, while not opposing data center development in principle, advocates for cleaner alternatives like battery storage to mitigate pollution.
The Lighthouse campus, Vantage Data Centers' first in Wisconsin, is a 672-acre project set to include four data centers with a total of 902 megawatts of critical IT load, with phase one completion slated for 2028.