(BEAVER DAM) Area residents opposed to the Meta AI data center in Beaver Dam are holding the Common Council’s feet to the fire over the divisive project. The council chambers were packed for a second straight meeting Monday night. Speakers like Deborah Doerfert of Beaver Dam faulted alders for doing the deal in closed meetings and being vague with the public about important details.
“You all are deceptive. You all purposely withheld that Degas LLC was a front for Meta, and that the development was an AI data center,” said Doerfert.
The City of Beaver Dam is responding with information on its website and on pamphlets to address concerns like the data center’s environmental impact. But Kate Miller said it’s not persuasive.
“One of them is ‘Meta aims to be water positive by 2030.’ I mean, what do you mean by ‘aims to?’ is there not a plan for that already?” asked Miller.
One speaker asked for a data center dialogue with the community to be placed on the agenda for a future Common Council meeting. Another speaker suggested forming a data center oversight panel made up of people from the community.
Above: Mary Aplin of Beaver Dam addresses the Common Council at Monday’s meeting.
