Across Wisconsin, community leaders are hearing growing unease about proposed large-scale data centers. While developers highlight economic benefits, many residents remain skeptical, citing past projects where early promises fell short of long-term impacts. In both rural and urban areas, concerns focus on how these facilities may disrupt daily life and leave communities bearing lasting costs.

Community leaders collect stories from residents who live closest to data centers sites. Residents have raised concerns about:

• Higher electricity costs
• Water withdrawals that could affect wells or groundwater
• More truck traffic and construction
• Constant noise from cooling systems and generators

Because many outcomes depend on the facilities, community leaders say they want clearer information early in the process.

For more information: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/data-center-secrets/

Communities report that the burdens of data center development are unevenly distributed. While tax revenues may benefit the wider region, residents living nearest proposed sites often bear the day-to-day disruptions. In response, community leaders are considering community-benefit agreements and other safeguards to ensure affected residents are not overlooked or left uncompensated.

Community leaders want to be involved early in planning so local voices are heard from the start, not after key decisions are already set. They are asking to review proposals before approvals, participate in early town hall meetings, and compare notes with other communities that have already hosted data centers. When towns share these experiences, it becomes easier to see trade-offs and surface unanswered questions about long-term water use, noise, power costs, and the loss of rural character.

Residents say they want a stronger voice in decisions that could shape their neighborhoods for decades. Community leaders are calling for more transparent decision making and clearer information sharing through town hall meetings, public forums, and other ways for residents to ask questions and raise concerns. These efforts aim to center the people who will live with the results long after decisions are made.