QTS Data Centers presented its data center project to the DeForest Village Board on Tuesday, detailing the nearly 1,600-acre project, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
The newspaper said a few hundred people showed up from DeForest and the nearby town of Vienna to speak against the project.
Farmland and water concerns were brought up, as well as a distrust of QTS and energy concerns.
QTS said in the first phase of the project, it would spend $12 billion to build five data center buildings on 650 acres of land along Highway V. It said the first phase would generate $20 million in property tax revenue annually.
Land for the project is currently in Vienna, and QTS said it wants the land annexed into DeForest.
The Facebook group “No Data Center in DeForest” asked residents to sign a petition to require voter approval via referendum for a large annexation and major development. The group announced on Facebook that it had received over 1,000 signatures.
Previously, on Nov. 12, Vienna voted no to an agreement with QTS with a 4-0 vote, The Star of Sun Prairie, DeForest, Windsor and Marshall reported.
The vote means the town declined to sign a cooperative agreement with QTS because it opposes plans for the data center. QTS said the town would receive nearly $40 million over 15 years if the agreement had passed.
A stipulation in the agreement would have seen the town have “to support the Project and the Developer’s pursuit of zoning, development, construction and/or operation of the Project,” and for the town to support with public statements or press releases, which nearly 70 residents spoke out against.
Residents also wanted to see farmland and local aquifers preserved. A major issue with data centers is their usage of natural resources and energy.
QTS owns 75 data center buildings in 19 states.
