Briefing 05/16/2025
Weekly updates on the political risks American data center projects
This week’s roundup: In Wisconsin, Microsoft’s Mount Pleasant data center is receiving backlash after We Energies proposed a $1.2B gas plant to meet rising power demand, prompting public health and climate concerns. In Georgia, Coweta County imposed a 180-day moratorium on new data center projects following opposition to two massive campuses, including the $17B Project Sail. And in Virginia, protests escalated in Prince William County as activists respond to the proposed Bristow Campus rezoning and a new 36-mile Dominion Energy transmission line intended to support data center-related growth.
Wisconsin Data Center Growth Sparks Fossil Fuels Debate
In southeastern Wisconsin, We Energies is proposing to build a $1.2 billion gas-fired power plant in Oak Creek to meet surging electricity demand driven primarily by Microsoft's $3.3 billion Mount Pleasant data center campus.
While the utility says the plant would reduce emissions compared to coal and help meet future demand, the proposal has drawn concerns from some residents, public health advocates, and environmental groups, who have raised concerns about long-term fossil fuel reliance and the role of large energy users in meeting regional power demand.
Opposition Groups:
Residents of Oak Creek
Clean Wisconsin
Sierra Club Wisconsin
Healthy Climate Wisconsin
Union of Concerned Scientists
Affected Projects
Microsoft Mount Pleasant Campus: Phase 1 to be operational by 2026, expected to draw 450MW/year
We Energies Oak Creek Gas Plant: $1.2B proposal to replace coal units, target online date 2027
We Energies Kenosha Gas Plant: 128MW facility in town of Paris
Cloverleaf Data Center (Port Washington): Proposed project requiring ~2x Microsoft’s demand
Why it matters:
PR Risk: Increasing energy and water requirements, along with the potential reliance on new fossil fuel infrastructure, have prompted public scrutiny and raised questions about alignment with stated sustainability goals of hyperscalers.
Growing Regulatory and Siting Risks: As energy demand from hyperscale data centers grows, policymakers and stakeholders are evaluating how infrastructure costs are allocated. This has led to increased discussion around utility rate structures, grid capacity planning, and potential expectations for clean energy commitments.
Coweta County Issues Moratorium Amid $17B Data Center Proposal
Coweta County, Georgia, approved a 180-day moratorium on new data center projects after receiving proposals for two massive developments: the recently approved $1B Project Peach and the pending $17B Project Sail. The project faces local opposition and a petition with 1,774 signatures against it. The moratorium gives the county time to review zoning codes, gather public input, and draft regulations amid growing opposition from neighbors and officials in nearby jurisdictions.
Affected Projects
Project Peach: $1B, 320-acre campus near Johnston Circle, approved in April
Project Sail: $17B, 13-building campus proposed by Atlas Development LLC
Douglas County Data Center Projects: Also subject to 90-day moratorium since March
Why it matters:
Moratoriums Spreading Across Key Markets: With Douglas County already under a 90-day pause, the halt in Coweta suggests a rising tide of caution in Georgia’s hottest data center corridors.
Scale Fuels Backlash: Project Sail—spanning 13 buildings—is one of the largest proposed campuses in the Southeast. Its sheer size triggered a petition with over 1700 signatures before a formal vote was even scheduled.
Protest in Prince William, Virginia, as the County Considers New Data Centers
Community opposition is mounting in Prince William County, Virginia, as local officials consider a rezoning request for the proposed Bristow Campus data center project. On May 14, activists from the Coalition to Protect Prince William County protested outside a Board of Supervisors meeting originally scheduled to vote on the project. The proposal was ultimately deferred to June 24 following a surge of community emails and public backlash.
Protests are continuing beyond the zoning debate. On May 15, the Coalition organized a second rally at Patriot High School, targeting Dominion Energy’s open house for its proposed 36-mile transmission line—the Morrisville to Wishing Star line. Approved through PJM Interconnection’s regional grid planning, the line would traverse three counties to serve growing data center demand. Organizers argue that the infrastructure primarily benefits large-scale data users and may impact public resources.
Affected Project
Bristow Campus Data Center
Proposed by STACK Infrastructure
Location: ~58 acres near Nokesville Road and Piper Lane
Two buildings, 75 feet tall
Requires rezoning from agricultural (A-1) to planned business district (PBD) and a special use permit
Not in the county’s official Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District
Why It Matters
Escalating Pushback in a Critical Market: Prince William County is part of Northern Virginia—the world’s largest data center hub—and protests here signal intensifying resistance in the area.
Zoning Delay Risks: The deferred decision shows how even smaller-scale proposals are facing resistance, suggesting that rezoning approvals in key markets could face increasing scrutiny and delays driven by community pushback.
Links
Local Opposition Hinders More Data Center Construction Projects
Lawmakers push forward on controversial law targeting data centers: 'A lot of its actual impact will fall on cryptocurrency miners'
Hundreds oppose Chesapeake data center, commission recommends denial
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/05/15/chesapeake-data-center-vote-denied/
U.S. Data Center Construction Market Outlook Report 2025-2030: Megawatt to Gigawatt Hyperscale Campus, Impacts of the Ongoing Tariff War, Rise of AI Workloads & Bit Coin Operators, Rise in Rack Power
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-data-center-construction-market-080300501.html?
Power-Hungry Data Centers Are Warming Homes in the Nordics
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-14/finland-s-data-centers-are-heating-cities-too
Another one stopped in Indiana, for now.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hancock-county/2025/05/15/developer-withdraws-rezoning-for-pud-data-center-hancock-county-greenfield-surge-development-farm/83626167007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKTN9pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsFArphNLy9npZeQa-Is94cZ5sh6ZItDM_C3-pnhId7ZP-HxxL8yIOn2qtFP_aem_hNTxTHRzHR1wmVEw51zzTg