Wisconsin DNR ordered to review environmental impacts of data centers
A settlement requires the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to conduct a statewide review of the environmental impacts of hyperscale data centers by January 2028. The review follows a lawsuit filed by Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of the Sierra Club, which challenged the approval of Vantage's data center campus in Port Washington without a comprehensive environmental analysis.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources must complete a statewide analysis of the environmental effects of large data centers by January 2028 under a settlement reached after Midwest Environmental Advocates sued the agency on behalf of the Sierra Club. The lawsuit focused on the DNR's permitting of Vantage's data center campus near Port Washington without examining its immediate and long-term impacts.
The review will consider potential effects on water resources, energy demand, air quality, climate, gas-fired power plants and high-voltage transmission lines. Vantage Data Centers will pay for the analysis, while Midwest Environmental Advocates is urging the DNR to delay permits for other large data center projects until the review is complete; Vantage did not comment to WUWM by the article's deadline.