Winnebago County sign, November 4, 2021. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Winnebago County is determining what environmental impacts a data center might have before choosing whether to place restrictions within the county.
In a meeting Monday, Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Director Chad Casper revealed he’s had conversations with County Executive Gordon Hintz about possible data center regulations within the county.
County supervisors raised two main environmental concerns about data centers — clean water and clean energy. Supervisors said if a company built a data center somewhere in the county, the environmental responsibility and subsequent cost needs to fall on the company, not the taxpayer.
“A small business that does a data center goes out of business, and now, there’s a huge buildup of microplastics in that particular area of Lake Winnebago,” said District 2 Supervisor Kristl Laux. “They need to be able to pay to clean up, rather than just leave a brown site.”
Research from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute shows data centers are linked to higher levels of forever chemicals in water supply, but advocates argue data centers also advance filtration infrastructure.
“It’s happening across the country, where the industry is leveraging water reuse systems, water infrastructure treatment solutions,” said Data Center Coalition Director of State Policy Brad Tietz.
Equally concerning for the county is air pollution stemming from non-clean energy sources. Winnebago County Land Conservation Committee Chair Tim Macho said Monday the county needs to ensure any company creates its own source of clean energy, rather than relying on the current electrical grid.
“If we can incorporate [clean energy] into the data center’s planning, it may delay the construction for a little time. A month or six months,” said Macho. “But it is better for the county and better for everyone overall.”
Data centers typically raise energy prices for residents, but the centers can offset improvements to energy infrastructure, benefitting residents.
“It’s also an industry bringing significant clean energy benefits, significant grid modernization benefits,” said Tietz.
There are no immediate plans for a data center moratorium or restrictions in Winnebago County, but the county wants to make sure if a data center is built, it’s taking care of the environment around it.
Elsewhere in Northeast Wisconsin, Brown County is seeking a data center moratorium and Manitowoc County approved a data center moratorium in April.
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