Anti-data center protests held in 7 Wisconsin cities
Anti-data center protests held in 7 Wisconsin cities
Several dozen Wisconsin residents and climate groups protested the development of data centers campuses across seven cities Dec. 1 and 2.
Arrest made of data center protester at Port Washington meeting
The arrest came during public comment after a woman was speaking against an $18 billion artificial intelligence data center campus on Dec. 2, 2025.
Several dozen Wisconsin residents and climate advocates protested the development of artificial intelligence data centers across seven cities Dec. 1 and 2.
Protesters demanded local and state officials halt approval of large Wisconsin data center projects proposed by Microsoft, Vantage and other tech companies across the state, particularly southeast Wisconsin.
In Port Washington, at least one person was arrested at a city council meeting Dec. 2 where protesters spoke out against the proposed $15 billion data center campus for tech giants OpenAI and Oracle. Multiple others were handcuffed and escorted out of the building.
More than 50 people demonstrated outside Milwaukee’s Discovery World Dec. 2 as the museum hosted an event featuring economic development organizations in favor of Wisconsin data center projects.
Milwaukee resident PJ Early, 62, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she opposes data centers because they threaten the environment with their high demand for water and electricity. She worried powering the projects would require more extraction of fossil fuels.
“Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, sound pollution,” Early said. “It’s just horrible for our state and dangerous for our health.”
The protests were organized by climate advocacy groups Healthy Climate Wisconsin and 350 Wisconsin as well as political groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said Healthy Climate Wisconsin health equity coordinator Julia Alberth, who attended rallies in Milwaukee and Kenosha.
Protesters took inspiration from a successful push against Microsoft’s planned data center in Caledonia, Alberth said. In October, opposition from residents and elected officials caused Microsoft to withdraw plans to build a data center campus on 244 acres of farmland.
The company is still searching for a new site for the project, which could still be in Caledonia or Racine County.
“We remain committed to investing in Southeast Wisconsin and look forward to working with the Village of Caledonia and Racine County leaders to identify a site that aligns with community priorities and our long-term development goals,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added Microsoft is “fully committed to advancing and operating data centers responsibly, in a way that strengthens local communities and generates economic opportunity for the area.”
Madison protest draws data center opponents to state Capitol
About 40 people gathered outside the state Capitol Dec. 2, chanting phrases like “Our water, our right, stand up, Wisconsin, it’s time to fight” and “Tony Evers, take a stand, save America’s Dairyland.”
Stan and Laurie Fry, of Madison, showed up in a blaze orange coverall and a Green Bay Packers coat, respectively, holding signs voicing their concerns with data centers’ energy usage.
Stan Fry highlighted tech companies’ interest in using nuclear power to meet their growing needs. “That in and of itself tells me it’s a technology not ready for primetime,” he said.
The Frys are both opposed to having any data centers in Wisconsin, and Stan Fry said he’d like to see the state issue a moratorium on their construction.
A recent Marquette University Law School poll found that 55% of Wisconsin voters said the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits, while 44% said the benefits are higher than the costs. Pollsters found similar breakdowns among each party.
As Wisconsin’s 2026 race for governor moves forward, no candidate has staked out a firm position for or against data centers, most opting instead to frame the issue as one that can bring economic benefits to the state while addressing residents’ environmental concerns.
Smaller rallies held across state
Protesters also held smaller rallies in Kenosha, Beaver Dam, Menomonie and Janesville, cities on or near the sites of potential data center projects.
Microsoft has purchased 240 acres of land near Interstate 94 in Kenosha for potential data center development, though it has not submitted a formal proposal.
Meta proposed a $1 billion data center in Beaver Dam it hopes to open in 2027.
Janesville’s city council is eyeing a potential data center campus on the site of an abandoned General Motors plant. In western Wisconsin, Menomonie officials have put plans for a $1.6 billion data center on hold following opposition from residents.