(BEAVER DAM) Two data centers, similar to the one under construction in Beaver Dam, are expected to use more energy than all homes in Wisconsin combined.
A new report by the environmental group Clean Wisconsin shows data centers in Mount Pleasant and Port Washington report they could use 3.9 GW of energy. That’s enough to power 4.3 million homes. For some perspective, there are 2.82 million housing units in Wisconsin, according to U.S. Census data.
In all, there are five proposed or approved data centers in Wisconsin.
The massive data center planned for Beaver Dam is supported by a state tax break and aims to be a sustainable, high-density data center campus.
Critics complain that data centers are a drain on resources such as energy and water. There is also concern about how data centers impact a community’s local character. Supporters counter that data centers provide a significant economic boost and create jobs.
