Data center protesters gather outside Powering Progress summit

Data center development in Wisconsin has sparked protests from local residents, who argue that these projects do not provide long-term benefits to their communities. Samantha Doucas, a protest organizer, called for a moratorium on data center construction, claiming that Wisconsin is being exploited by big tech companies. However, Tricia Braun, the executive director of the Wisconsin Data Center Coalition, stated that data centers create more jobs than just construction, including in manufacturing. Alliant Energy's senior manager of data center services, Coleman Peiffer, assured that the energy costs would not fall on residents. As a new state-level bill aims to regulate data centers, environmental activists like Cassie Steiner of the Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter hope lawmakers will scrutinize the energy, water, and land use impacts of these projects.