Wisconsin City Passes Country’s First Anti-Data Center Referendum

Voters in a Milwaukee suburb on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a measure that would restrict future data centers in their county.

Voters in the city of Port Washington, Wisconsin, approved the anti-data center measure by a two-to-one margin, according to reports. Residents who sponsored the voter initiative said the referendum marks an escalation of tactics to oppose the data center facilities, which greatly increase local energy usage to power AI.

Christine Le Jeune, founder of the nonprofit Great Lakes Neighbors United, said, “This is really setting a precedent. This is something that other communities can look to.”

At least three other localities are set to vote on similar proposals later this year. In Ohio for instance, voters seek to have a statewide ballot that would constrain new construction of certain data centers.

The Port Washington referendum does not block the proposed construction of the city’s data center campus, which amounts to a $15 billion, 1.3-gigawatt facility backed by tech giants OpenAI and Oracle. This is one of the many “Stargate” AI megaprojects the companies are developing with the backing of the Trump administration. Rather, the referendum requires future data center projects to receive voter approval before awarding tax incentives toward construction.

Le Jeune said local citizens remain concerned about how data centers could impact transparency, noise pollution, freshwater use, and increased energy costs.

Local business groups complained that the referendum would stifle future development across the board, not just for data centers. Vantage Data Centers, which is building the AI data megacomplex, said the project would boost jobs in the area.

The referendum could be frozen as part of ongoing legal challenges. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce, a business group, seeks to block the measure, contending it violates state law.

In June, Monterey Park, California, will decide if they should ban new data center construction within city limits. In August, Augusta Township in Michigan will decide if the town should stop an ordinance that allowed for data center projects. Janesville, Wisconsin, in November will vote on a measure that could stop plans to transform a former General Motors plant into an AI factory.