‘They want our land, they want our water’: Caledonia residents speak out against planned data center

A new data center could be coming to southeast Wisconsin — but it’s facing local opposition.

The company behind the plan known as “Project Nova” is unknown. But the site of the proposed data center is owned by We Energies and located near the company’s Oak Creek Power Plant. The project would require approximately 244 acres currently used for agriculture to be rezoned. 

During a village board meeting on Tuesday, more than a dozen longtime residents spoke out against the project. 

Marcia Buhler has lived in Caledonia for nine years. Like many others, the anonymity of the company behind the data center worries her. 

“This company, whoever it is, they want our land, they want our water,” Buhler said. “They have no commitment to our community. They’re in it for profit only.”

Data centers have been popping up around all sides of Lake Michigan. This includes an increasing number in Wisconsin, including a Microsoft data center campus already under construction in Racine County. A recent report found that some sites can use between 1 and 5 million gallons of water per day. 

Caledonia residents who spoke at the meeting said they saw no benefit in the plant.

“I’m all for growing and expanding Caledonia,” Becky Girard said. “I’m also pro-business. However, I don’t see or have heard any positives to moving forward with the data center.”

Paula Pintar is a longtime Caledonia resident and registered nurse. She says the data center would threaten the community’s rural charm. 

“We’ve been highlighted as being a natural environment that is supportive of biking and horseback riding and agriculture, the woodlands,” Pintar said. “And so this will have a significant impact not only to the health of our environment, but to the health of our residents in the community.”

Valerie Lancelle also spoke at the meeting. She believes the rezoning is a “multimillion dollar gift to We Energies” and said residents will “get nothing in return.”

“We are being asked to give up the village’s natural beauty and character in exchange for promises of future tax revenue from a developer who has not committed to a timeline or a full project scope,” Lancelle said.

A few community members started a petition to stop the rezoning and data center. It has received over 740 signatures online. They have also been able to gain 150 signatures by canvassing across the village. More than 130 people signed the petition just this week.

The village board approved a pre-development agreement last month. The plan commission will hold a final hearing and potentially vote on the rezoning request on Sept. 29.