GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The potential for data centers in northeast Wisconsin has expanded in recent months, prompting pushback from community members who expressed concerns over electric bills, water usage and transparency.
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One of the more notable community responses in those recent months was from Greenleaf residents in January, when pushback from residents prompted Cloverleaf Infrastructure, a Houston-based real estate development company, to stop considering the village for a project.
For clarification, Cloverleaf Infrastructure does not own or build the data center; the company works with other businesses looking to build one. Cloverleaf Infrastructure goes through the process of acquiring and developing land for businesses looking to build a data center.
“We identify high-potential sites on the grid that are capable of supporting large energy loads and proactively manage the interconnection process to accelerate project development,” – Cloverleaf Infrastructure’s website
Cloverleaf Infrastructure’s Chief Development Officer, Aaron Bilyeu, spoke with Local 5 about the reason for exploring northeast Wisconsin as a potential space for businesses seeking a data center, citing the area’s strong electrical grid.
“Northeast Wisconsin has very strong 345 kilovolt lines running through it,” Bilyeu said. “Then you need the generation, which is the actual power that goes on that; so there is excess power on this side of the state.”
It’s not just in Greenleaf where residents expressed concerns, as Mishicot resident Susan Dirkman, who at a meeting on February 12, cited worries about energy costs.
“I’m looking at energy costs and how it would affect the future,” Dirkman said.
In regard to those specific concerns, Bilyeu said data centers would pay for any necessary grid updates, and that the companies don’t want to burden utility rate payers.
“Data centers are committed to paying for additional grid upgrades as well as any generation assets,” Bilyeu said. “The data center industry is actually supportive of doing that; we don’t want to burden rate payers in any way.”
Before the considered project in Greenleaf became obsolete, residents expressed concern with how much water a data center may use; however, Bilyeu says it’s ‘about as much as a small office building.’
“The way data centers are constructed now, they no longer consume water for cooling,” Bilyeu said. “The only water that gets used on a daily basis is for domestic use.”
Transparency concerns also arose in Greenleaf, as Dave Vandervoort told Local 5 in January that it felt as if everything was being kept in the dark.
“Everything seems to be quite a secret,” Vandervoort said. “If they’re as great as they claim to be for some communities, I don’t know why they’re trying to sneak out and keep everybody in the dark.”
Bilyeu told Local 5 that they’re seeking communities to support the mission of purchasing land for companies to build data centers, in hopes that these municipalities which support projects that ‘understand the benefits of data centers.’
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“Projects have been pulled back after local opposition,” Bilyeu said. “What we’re after is local jurisdictions that are supportive of projects that understand the benefits of data centers.”
Cloverleaf Infrastructure clarified that it purchases and develops the land for a business seeking a data center. Click here to learn more.
