Wisconsin Data Center Updates

This article provides an update on significant data center developments in Eastern Wisconsin, highlighting ongoing construction and substantial community concerns. Two major data center projects, located in Port Washington and Mount Pleasant, are progressing despite receiving "critical feedback" and "public backlash." The combined energy consumption for these facilities is projected to be 3.9 gigawatts annually, exceeding the energy use of all Wisconsin households. Residents in Port Washington are enduring "constant grueling 24-hour construction," leading to complaints about intense light pollution, with one citizen, Kim Tydrick, dubbing their area the "land of the midnight sun." Residents also report "incessant backup beeping," contrary to assurances from the Mayor of Port Washington, and extensive dust covering properties. In Mount Pleasant, Racine County, residents voice similar grievances regarding continuous construction noise. Microsoft, which is backing a $13 billion data center campus, has expanded its plans to include 15 data centers in Racine, baffling locals. Resident Tony Martino publicly addressed Microsoft, stating, "You (Microsoft) are single-handedly changing the very fabric of Mount Pleasant, and we, the residents, have had enough." In a more positive development, Microsoft announced it would cease using non-disclosure agreements in future data center projects. Microsoft Vice President Rima Alaily stated this decision was to provide "transparency about what we are building and why" to communities, addressing a long-standing point of contention for Wisconsin residents. The article also briefly covers OpenAI's decision to shut down its Sora AI video generation model and its terminated deal with Disney, though this section is not relevant to data center development.