Environmental Groups Sue DNR Over Port Washington Data Center Review
Environmental groups are suing the Wisconsin DNR over its environmental review process for a $15 billion data center project in Port Washington, alleging the DNR skipped a full environmental impact statement at the developer's request. Separately, Oracle is appealing a state tariff designed to make data center companies pay for grid upgrades, an appeal that was recently denied, setting up another legal battle.
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) concerning a $15 billion hyperscale data center project in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Midwest Environmental Advocates, on behalf of the Sierra Club, alleges that the DNR bypassed a full environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 672-acre facility, being developed by Vantage, Oracle, and OpenAI, after Vantage threatened to cancel the project. The lawsuit argues that the DNR's more limited environmental analysis fails to adequately address the project's substantial impacts on wetlands, water supply, air quality, and energy demand, thereby violating Wisconsin’s Environmental Policy Act. Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Club's Wisconsin chapter, highlighted the data center's unprecedented scale and its potential to exacerbate fossil fuel emissions.
Separately, the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) implemented a tariff requiring data center companies to pay for their energy consumption and provide collateral for necessary grid infrastructure improvements. Oracle appealed this tariff, citing insufficient funds to meet the collateral demands, but the PSC rejected the appeal this week, which is expected to lead to further legal action. A DNR spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. The article also mentions a recent protest that called for a pause on data center construction across Wisconsin.