Gov. candidate Tiffany stops in Osseo while on 'Protect our Farmland' tour

Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany stopped in Osseo, Wisconsin, as part of his 'Protect our Farmland' tour, campaigning on the issue of preserving agricultural land from various developments, including data centers. Tiffany expressed concerns about foreign adversaries like communist China buying up farmland and criticized a vetoed bill that would have protected land. He also voiced opposition to the conversion of farmland for solar fields, wind turbines, and data centers, emphasizing the importance of local control in development decisions.

Tiffany specifically criticized his Democratic opponent, David Crowley, for suggesting that data centers should be powered solely by renewable energy, arguing that it would require an impractical amount of land for solar panels to power projects like those in Mount Pleasant and Port Washington. Tiffany outlined his conditions for data center development: no subsidies, no increased electricity rates for residents, full transparency (no nondisclosure agreements), and no conversion of farmland. He also advocated for new nuclear technologies and placing solar facilities on impervious surfaces rather than farmland.

In response, Democrats and Crowley have criticized Tiffany and Donald Trump, alleging that their agenda favors billionaires and allows data centers to expand in the state with insufficient oversight. Crowley stated his intent to aggressively protect Wisconsinites from "abuses of these data centers" and "large tech companies," accusing Tiffany of supporting big tech executives at the expense of working families, especially with the general election less than 75 days away.