More data centers are coming.
There are about
50 data centers in Wisconsin
right now
but that will change as
soon as more can get approved
and construction can begin.
I'm Steven Potter
a reporter with
PBS Wisconsin news.
I've looked into this.
Around the country, there are
more than 5,000 data centers
and the number of them here
is growing.
Large-scale data centers
in Dodge and Green County
are already under construction
and others are being planned
for Wood, Rock
and Kenosha counties.
Our ever-growing need
for more computing power
is what's driving this demand
with a big push, of course
from the use
of artificial intelligence.
But that doesn't mean
that these data centers
are a done deal
wherever and whenever
they're proposed.
Some Wisconsin residents
are angry and are teaming up
to push back against these
data center developments.
They say they don't want them
wrecking natural resources
or ruining
the rural landscape.
What unfolds is a battle
between local residents
and big technology corporations
with government
and elected officials
often caught in the middle.
To learn more about this
and to find out who's
winning the battles over
big data centers
find my story about it
at pbswisconsin.org