Wisconsin will examine environmental cost of data centers in lawsuit settlement
Wisconsin regulators will conduct a statewide analysis of the environmental, water, energy and other impacts of data center development under a settlement resolving a lawsuit over permits for Vantage Data Centers’ Lighthouse campus in Port Washington. The permits will remain valid, while Vantage will fund the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources review, which must be completed by January 2028.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources agreed to conduct a statewide strategic analysis of the anticipated expansion of AI data centers and related power infrastructure as part of a settlement with the Sierra Club, Midwest Environmental Advocates and Vantage Data Centers. The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed in Ozaukee County Circuit Court challenging the DNR’s decision to permit Vantage’s $15 billion Lighthouse data center campus in Port Washington without an environmental impact statement.
The review will examine effects on agriculture, air and water quality, climate, energy, the economy and cultural resources, as well as potential impacts on electricity bills. The DNR must solicit public comment and hold public hearings, with completion due by Jan. 31, 2028; Vantage will pay the costs while the agency retains control over the analysis. The Lighthouse permits will remain valid, and the Sierra Club will withdraw its petition for a contested case hearing. The campus is planned to include four data centers and could eventually require up to 3.5 gigawatts of electricity.