PORT WASHINGTON, wis. — Port Washington residents are expressing mixed reactions to a proposed $8 billion data center project, with concerns ranging from environmental impact to economic benefits following recent comments from Vantage Data Centers leadership.
In a Wednesday interview with TMJ4's Charles Benson, Vantage Data Centers President Dana Adams addressed community concerns about water usage, energy needs and environmental impact.
Residents we spoke to on Thursday remain split on whether the project will benefit or harm their community.
Adams stated that residents worried about rising utility bills should not be concerned. Port Washington resident Bridget Molitor says she still harbors skepticism after watching Adams' comments.
"They make a lot of promises, and once they get the approval, there's nothing holding them to the fire to keep those promises," Molitor said.
However, Port Washington resident Juan Carlos Helmstedt supports the data center project, focusing on its economic potential. Adams highlighted that the project would create 6,000 construction jobs.
"You cannot stop progress. The youth need the future, and that's the future with AI," Helmstedt said.
Tom Uttech, who has lived in the town of Saukville on a large plot of land for nearly four decades, strongly opposes the project. The award-winning landscape painter says incoming power lines will destroy the natural scenery that inspires his work.
"These giant lines that are crackling away and making noise. It's going to completely alter and diminish the value of this (landscape)," Uttech said.
Uttech is planning legal action to stop the power lines from being built. When asked if Adams' reassurances about utility costs addressed his concerns, he was dismissive.
"These reassurances mean absolutely nothing to me," Uttech said. "We will be paying the price that the people of Port Washington gain. And that also is terrible because that pits us against the people of Port Washington, and none of us want to be fighting each other because we're all friends," Uttech said.
Watch: TMJ4 gets reaction from Port Washington neighbors after sitting down with Vantage Data Centers president
A spokesperson for the American Transmission Company (ATC), who is proposing the power lines, says they are confident in the overall benefits of the new transmission lines. ATC's proposal has been submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and is currently pending.
"Our application explains the system-wide benefits of the project and this will be demonstrated in the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin proceeding," a spokesperson said.
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.
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