Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams is now pitching data centers to residents in rural Wisconsin
Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams visited Wisconsin Rapids in Wood County to advocate for a data center project proposed by PNK Group. Residents strongly opposed the project during a public meeting, citing concerns about water, land use, and energy consumption. Public polling in Wisconsin indicates widespread opposition to data center developments.
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently visited Wisconsin Rapids in Wood County, Wisconsin, as a business development consultant for real estate-related technology companies. He attempted to persuade local residents to support a data center project proposed by developer PNK Group, which would be located on a 209-acre former paper mill site adjacent to the Wisconsin River.
Adams was met with immediate heckling and shouts of opposition from attendees at the Wisconsin Rapids municipal library, as captured in an online video. Residents expressed strong concerns about the data center's potential impact on local water resources, valuable land, and energy demands, with some shouting, "Steal our water!" and "Destroy our town!".
The article highlights widespread public opposition to data centers in Wisconsin, citing a Marquette University Law School poll where 76% of registered voters believe costs outweigh benefits. Both Democratic and Republican frontrunners in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race, Francesca Hong and Tom Tiffany, have expressed opposition to data centers, with Hong proposing a one-year moratorium on new construction. Kaitlyn Federwitz of South Wood County Neighbors for Responsible Development voiced her group's sentiment, stating, "Our whole town does not want him here at all." Residents are seeking new industry to replace jobs lost from the paper mill closure but do not see a data center as the solution.