Wisconsin DNR to assess data center environmental impacts as part of settlement agreement
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reached a settlement with environmental groups after they sued over permits for Vantage's data center in Port Washington. The agreement requires full environmental impact statements for future data center proposals and a statewide review of data centers' water and energy use.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources agreed to stricter environmental reviews of future data center developments as part of a settlement with the Sierra Club and Midwest Environmental Advocates. The groups had sued in Ozaukee County court, arguing that the agency improperly approved permits for Vantage's data center under construction in Port Washington without a sufficient environmental impact statement.
Under the settlement, the DNR will prepare full environmental impact statements for individual data center proposals and conduct a statewide strategic analysis of the sector's resource consumption. The review comes as the Wisconsin Public Service Commission projects that data centers, including facilities in Port Washington, Mount Pleasant and Beaver Dam, could contribute to a 40% increase in statewide energy demand over six years. Environmental advocates said the agreement will help regulators assess cumulative water, energy and environmental impacts across Wisconsin.