OZAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. — Residents and landowners along proposed power line routes driven by the Port Washington data center complex are celebrating after Thursday's Public Service Commission of Wisconsin ruling ordered American Transmission Company to rewrite its transmission proposal entirely.
The PSC issued the decision to revoke the completeness designation of the proposal at its meeting Thursday, siding with residents and landowners who had argued the project had strayed too far from what was originally submitted for review.
The commission originally marked ATC's application complete in December 2025, but since then, the commission says more than 500 additional application documents have been filed. Those changes were the subject of many of the 2,500 public comments that have come in over the past week.
Watch: Ozaukee County neighbors react after PSC orders power line proposal to be rewritten
David Aversa, a Town of Saukville resident and leader in the Responsible Energy Alliance, said he wrote down the commission's words as he heard them.
"Thank god that the PSC sees injustice and is doing the right thing," Aversa said. "It's about a group of people saying they don't want their farms destroyed. Their lands destroyed. Their family heritage destroyed."
David Binkowski, a Town of Fredonia resident and owner of Affordable Tree Services, lives and works along one of the proposed routes. He said the ruling was welcome news.
"I was happy for that because I don't think they did these studies that are necessary," Binkowski said.
The fight is not over, as the revised proposal can again be resubmitted for review, restarting the approval process.
A spokesperson for Vantage Data Centers said the company is disappointed in the PSC's decision and remains committed to paying its own way and to working with ATC to ensure the "responsible development of transmission infrastructure."
Vantage Data Centers respects the Public Service Commission’s role and the importance of ensuring the public has a meaningful opportunity to comment on critical infrastructure decisions. While we are disappointed in yesterday’s decision, we remain committed to working constructively with ATC, public officials, utilities and the community to advance the responsible development of transmission infrastructure needed to support Project Lighthouse.
Project Lighthouse represents a major long-term investment in Port Washington and the broader region, creating thousands of construction jobs, supporting long-term operations roles, generating significant local economic activity and providing new tax revenue.
Vantage is also committed to paying our own way, including ensuring that project-related infrastructure costs are addressed responsibly and not shifted to Wisconsin residents.
We will review the Commission’s written order when available and evaluate the appropriate next steps.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
