thanks very much.

>> Thank you.

>> In Ozaukee County, one of the largest data centers in the U.S. Could soon be part of the landscape.

Port Washington officials are advancing plans for a proposed 900 acre data center campus.

That data center under consideration is joining the list of such developments in Wisconsin.

Because it turns out we have the perfect conditions.

Here's a story produced by “Here& Now” reporter intern Jane McCauley on how water and climate factor into data center siting decisions.

Wisconsin is rich in one of the most important natural resources.

Water.

>> We are projected to be relatively water rich in the coming decades.

>> But a new technological frontier could test the waters.

>> Data centers, particularly AI data centers, need a lot of water.

>> Data centers are popping up around the state.

They run artificial intelligence data and store information.

Mi Barrilleaux, communications director of Clean Wisconsin, cautions that the long term environmental impacts remain uncharted territory.

>> We need to pay attention to how much withdrawals are happening.

We have a lot of competing interests for that.

Water communities, farming businesses, manufacturing, and now AI data centers coming in to access some of that water.

>> Wisconsin has become a destination for new data centers because of the extreme heat they generate, requiring cooler climates and lots of water to regulate their temperatures.

That's why companies are eyeing Wisconsin for its climate and water.

>> A lot of people don't really realize the impact that this kind of heavy computing is having on our environment and could potentially have on our really critical water systems.

valuable resources on this planet.

>> Annette Zimmerman is a political philosophy professor who focuses on AI ethics and use.

>> We're dealing with a small number of people and companies who are able to decide, oh, we're now going to operate in this environment, and nobody really can argue against us because we have very limited competition and almost no regulation.

>> For its part, Microsoft and Meta are already investing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure in Wisconsin.

Microsoft says the Mount Pleasant Data Center will provide jobs and tax revenue, saying the project is expected to bring an influx of 2300 union construction jobs to the area by 2025, as well as providing long term employment opportunities over the next several years.

Missy Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, discussed the initial construction in a 2023 here and Now interview.

>> Well, having a company like Microsoft, a blue chip, a true blue chip, American company decide to create such an opportunity in Wisconsin is incredibly important and really exciting.

It brings in high tech, artificial intelligence, all of these things that we see in the economy of the future.

And so Microsoft, Microsoft choosing Wisconsin is really a testament to what we've done to create the workforce that they need to create the infrastructure that they need.

And we're so excited to have them here.

>> More recently, construction in Mount Pleasant has been on and off, but is expected to finish by the end of 2026.

When it comes to water usage, Microsoft says it has plans to replenish the water.

It is used by 2030 and be net positive in 2022.

Their global usage was more than 1.5 billion gallons of water, a 34% jump from the year prior.

Microsoft declined an interview, but provided this statement about sustainability.

Quote, we made ambitious commitments in 2020.

These commitments are rooted in science and take the necessary steps to protect our ecosystems and prevent the most severe impacts of climate change.

Our data center facilities in Mount Pleasant will not require ongoing access to large quantities of water.

This is because the facilities have been designed with a closed loop cooling system that employs a combination of cooling chemicals and recycled water.

Data centers expect to provide short term employment for Wisconsin.

Longer term, Wedwick expects spin off development that generates increased property tax revenue.

As for environmental impacts, Barrio and Zimmerman argue they may not be seen for years to come.

>> People get uneasy when they start realizing that this resource that means so much could be harder and harder to get, and we don't want to get in that situation.

we don't know.

And that's because we can't fully predict what the next wave of innovating in the generative AI space will