Saving the Driftless

 From Wisconsin Conservation Voters:

In late 2025, residents of Grant County learned a $1 billion data center was being quietly planned near Cassville, a process conducted behind signed NDAs and zoning meetings with zero public comment.

 

Across Wisconsin, tech giants are eyeing rural communities to build massive, energy- and water-hungry facilities. But local residents are rising up to defend the Driftless Area’s unique landscape.

 

As local resident Pete Moris put it: “These are decisions that will impact our area for generations to come. We are stewards here for a short time, and I do not want to be the generation that screws this up.”

 

▶️ WATCH THE PREMIERE: Saving the Driftless Area on YouTube

 

The real cost of Big Tech’s invasion:

• Massive cooling demand uses tremendous amounts of water.
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• Shifting energy costs onto local families. As opponent Melodie Betts shared, “People cannot afford to pay for extra electricity… People can’t even afford the extra 20 or 30 dollars of gas in their gas tank.”
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• Developers use NDAs and secretive meetings to shut down community input.

“Our quality of life is way more valuable than any promises a data center developer is going to bring,” Moris said. “Putting people ahead of profits is what we’re seeing resonate with folks.”

 

Can a rural community stop Big Tech from reshaping Southwestern Wisconsin?

 

Watch the 10-minute video on YouTube, leave a comment, and share it with friends to help spread the word.