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People living in a Midwest city known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation are sounding the alarm on a proposed data center with a price tag of $1.6 billion.
More than 300 acres of farmland in Menomonie, Wisconsin, has already been annexed and rezoned by the city council, but some members say they need more information from developers about the project.
The data center proposal was brought to the city by Delaware-based Balloonist, LLC, according to a press release on the city’s “Potential Data Center FAQ” web page. The potential data center’s operating company has not yet been made public.
“Currently, neither the council nor the public has been told who the company behind this project is,” councilmember Sydney Brennan told FOX Business via email. “What we have been told is that it is an American-based company and one of the five major tech firms.”
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Rusted farm equipment is seen on a farm in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The city will potentially be the site of a new $1.6 billion data center. (Bing Guan / Reuters)
A Facebook group called “Stop the Menomonie Data Center” has 2,000 members, whose posts cite concerns regarding water usage and possible higher electricity bills.
Energy use was also addressed by City Administrator Eric Atkinson in a July press release, where he said, “[t]he City of Menomonie does not operate an electric utility. Balloonist is actively working with Xcel Energy and the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to address energy supply and infrastructure.”
The proposed data center would use about 75,000 gallons of water per day, the city said in a press release.
“The 320-acre site includes buffer zones to reduce the impact of noise on adjacent properties and rights-of-way,” the city added.
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City Hall of Menomonie, Wisconsin, where residents are worried about a data center being planned by an as-yet-unnamed major tech company. (Google Maps / Google Maps)
“A lot of people are either very skeptical of the project or downright do not want anything to do with a data center, especially given some of the other projects, other data centers that have been built around the state and around the country,” council member Cody Gentz told Wisconsin Public Radio.
“There’s a lot of stories coming out about the negative consequences potentially associated with a data center,” Gentz said.
LEDs light up in a server rack in a data center in Hessen, Frankfurt on Jan. 23, 2023. (Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance / Getty Images)
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If the data center moves forward, it will provide jobs for up to 1,000 daily workers, which include contractors, electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists over the four to seven years the construction phase takes, the city said.
Once it is completed, it would have about 50-75 full-time employees who make six figures and employ 200-300 contract workers for security, landscaping and skilled labor, the city said.
