Data Centers Influence Political Landscape in Wisconsin

In early March, Philip Gorman, a county supervisor in southern Wisconsin, discovered local news reports about permits for a proposed hyper-scale A.I. data center named Cornmaze, planned to cover over four hundred acres in Rock County. The project, linked to Meta, raised concerns among residents regarding potential increases in utility bills, air quality issues, and groundwater depletion. Gorman noted that the opposition to the project was more than typical NIMBYism, with many residents expressing a desire for a say in the implications of A.I. on society. Community meetings were organized to discuss the data center, and Gorman won re-election in April, attributing his success to the data center issue. A Gallup poll indicated that over seventy percent of Americans oppose data centers in their vicinity, with growing opposition impacting midterm elections, particularly in Rust Belt states like Ohio. In Wisconsin, the governor's race has been notably affected, with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly winning the Democratic nomination after a chaotic primary. His opponent, Francesca Hong, had campaigned on a one-year moratorium on new data centers, a stance that resonated with voters but ultimately did not secure her victory. Crowley, while advocating for regulations on data centers, opposed Hong's moratorium, which he argued did not address existing facilities. His Republican opponent, Representative Tom Tiffany, has capitalized on the issue, branding Crowley as "Data Center David" and focusing his campaign on the negative impacts of data centers. Wisconsin's appeal to tech companies is bolstered by its freshwater resources, cool climate, and lack of zoning laws, leading to significant tax breaks for data centers that are projected to cost the state over two billion dollars in lost revenue. As opposition to data centers grows, a recent Marquette University poll showed that seventy-eight percent of Wisconsin residents now oppose them, with heightened concerns about corporate welfare and the impact of A.I. on jobs and local communities. Crowley has adjusted his stance to include renewable energy requirements for new data centers but has not called for repealing tax exemptions, leaving room for Tiffany to challenge him on the issue.