JUNEAU, Wis.— A public forum at the Juneau Community Center drew a near-capacity crowd of Dodge County residents Tuesday night seeking answers about a Meta data center under construction in Beaver Dam — and what it could mean for their air, water, and energy bills.
Comedian Charlie Berens opened the meeting by breaking the ice and breaking down his concerns about the project.
"This is the most bipartisan issue since beer," Berens said. "I just want Wisconsin to decide for Wisconsin, I want Beaver Dam to decide for Beaver Dam. I don't want a tech company deciding for you guys."
Watch: Dodge County residents pack forum to learn about Meta data center in Beaver Dam
Meta announced the billion-dollar data center project in November of last year. The company says the campus will span more than 700,000 square feet and support about 1,000 construction jobs and 100 operational jobs in Beaver Dam.
Not everyone in the room was opposed. Farmer Jim Zahn said he came in with an open mind.
"I am open to it because I look at it like gravel pits. Everybody hates gravel pits, but if we don't have gravel pits, we don't have roads," Zahn said.
But many residents expressed concern about potential impacts to air and water quality, as well as higher energy costs. Juneau resident Dawn Moneyhan said she wanted the public to understand the project's reach extends beyond Beaver Dam.
"People need to know what's going on; they need to understand that even if they don't live in Beaver Dam, they're still going to be affected. They just simply need to be an Alliant customer," Moneyhan said.
Alliant Energy responded to questions about energy costs with a statement that read in part:
"We follow a strict principle that if you use energy, you pay for it. And customers who use large amounts of energy pay for the electric grid investments needed to serve them, not existing customers," Alliant Energy said.
One Beaver Dam resident in attendance said the scale of the project caught many off guard.
"This is the biggest industrial development Beaver Dam has ever seen and probably will ever see, and most of the community was in the dark," the resident said.
Berens closed with a pointed remark directed at elected officials.
"I will stick to comedy when our politicians stick to policy," Berens said.
Residents who attended said they came to learn — and left wishing they had received the information much sooner.
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