(The Center Square) – The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit challenging the environmental approval of the Vantage data center by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Emails showed that DNR staff initially informed data center representatives that a full Environmental Impact Statement would be required for the project but that report ultimately was not required after pushback from the company saying it would “kill the project,” as shown in public records.
Those records also showed concern in communications between Vantage employees and Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke over videos from comedian Charlie Berens opposing the project and suggestions that the Port Washington data center is differentiated from Microsoft’s data center projects with state leaders.
Sierra Club is represented by Midwest Environmental Advocates in the case.
“This case is about transparency and accountability,” MEA attorney Michael Greif said in a statement. “Wisconsinites have a right to know why the state changed course and why one of the largest development projects in Wisconsin history is moving forward without the level of environmental review and public input the law requires.”
Lawmakers last year estimated that the $2.1 billion project will use as much electricity as the city of Los Angeles. A new report from the Public Service Commission estimates that Wisconsin will need 40% more peak demand power.in coming years due to the data center boom, especially hyper-scale projects in Beaver Dam, Port Washington and Mount Pleasant.
The data centers are also a large beneficiary of tax benefits throughout the state, including tax increment financing deals and an estimated $1.5 billion in initial foregone state sales tax from four data center projects that will later become $369 million annually once construction on the projects are complete.