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Residents tell council Vantage data center links to rising utility bills and allege diesel‑generator permits
Summary
Public commenters pressed Port Washington leaders for transparency about how the Vantage data center affects residents’ utility bills and air quality; Tracy Finch cited We Energies filings and later alleged Wisconsin DNR permit filings show applications for dozens of diesel emergency generators totaling 87 MW and asked the mayor to reject gas‑fired backup power.
Residents used the public‑comment period to press Port Washington officials for clearer information about the Vantage data center and its consequences for utility rates and air quality.
Tracy Finch of Port View Drive told the council the city’s fact sheet — which she said had asserted the data center would not raise residents’ utility bills — is now misleading. "Your fact sheet told the public that the data center would not cause our utility bills to rise. That statement is now impossible to defend," Finch said, citing We Energies filings that list grid upgrades and rising demand from large users such as data centers among drivers of upcoming rate increases.
Finch urged the mayor to correct the record and update the fact sheet so residents understand what costs remain system‑wide and what Vantage has contractually agreed to pay. "If you want to rebuild trust, the first step is simple. Acknowledge the mistake. Update the fact sheet. Tell residents the truth about how this project affects the grid and why their costs are going up," she said.
Later in the meeting Finch returned with a separate, more detailed claim about backup generators. She said her source was Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources permit filings: "According to the DNR own permit filings, Vantage submitted an application on August 29th, 2025 for 45 fire diesel emergency generators totaling 87 megawatts of backup power," Finch said, adding that diesel emissions carry documented health risks and urging the city to require cleaner alternatives such as battery storage.
City response and context The council did not take immediate regulatory action on the claims during the meeting; the presentation and staff comments elsewhere characterized some project costs and utility extensions as developer financed under TID arrangements, and staff repeatedly emphasized that project‑level approvals and permits remain subject to state agency review (PSC and DNR) and further council consideration.
What was not resolved Finch asserted documentary sources (We Energies filings, DNR permit records) but the council meeting transcript does not contain a staff correction, confirmation or denial of the specific DNR permit details she cited. The claim about the number and capacity of generators therefore remained an unresolved, document‑based allegation in the public record that the city may need to confirm or rebut with permit records or developer statements.
Next steps Finch asked the mayor and staff to update the fact sheet and provide transparent disclosure on the project's grid impacts and any permit details. Council members and staff discussed ongoing coordination with utilities and regulators elsewhere in the agenda; the transcript records no formal motion to require changes to the fact sheet or to block diesel generators that evening.
