Western Wisconsin residents demand end to data center tax exemption
Residents in Western Wisconsin rallied in River Falls to demand an end to the state's sales-and-use-tax exemption for data centers. They called for greater transparency and accountability in hyperscale data center development, citing concerns over natural resources and community input. The protest highlighted the impact of such exemptions, estimated at over $2 billion, and referenced local opposition efforts in Menomonie.
A rally organized by GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) brought over one hundred residents to Veterans Park in River Falls to protest Wisconsin's state sales-and-use-tax exemption for data centers. Attendees demanded an end to the exemption and called for increased statewide transparency, accountability, and environmental protections concerning hyperscale data center developments.
Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, co-author of the 2023 legislation that established the exemption and later sought to expand it in 2025, was challenged by residents over his pro-data center stance. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has estimated that more than $2 billion in tax incentives have been granted to corporations building data centers in Wisconsin, including major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta.
Speakers, including Wendy DiPeso of GROWW, highlighted a lack of transparency surrounding proposed data center projects in communities such as Menomonie and Port Washington, emphasizing the public's right to information about land, water, and power demands before decisions are finalized. Danny Akenson, another GROWW organizer, pointed to Menomonie as an example where community mobilization led to calls for a pause on new data center approvals, underscoring the need for statewide protections against secret non-disclosure agreements with "Big Tech."
The rally also touched on broader concerns about the societal impacts of rapidly developing technology. Teachers like Taylor Stevens-Nudd from River Falls stressed that lawmakers and developers must be held accountable for the full public cost of supporting the industry's growth without adequate community input or environmental considerations.