Three-Part CoCo Dems Podcast Series Explores Hyperscale Data Centers

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Hyperscale Data Centers have been in the news lately, so we wanted to learn more about them. Why are communities fighting against them? What are the environmental impacts? Who pays for these data centers? What we learned will likely surprise and concern you. This podcast is an introduction to three upcoming podcasts:

1. March 26 - An interview with members of the group, No Data Center in DeForest, who were able to stop a data center development;

2. April 3 - An interview with Cassie Steiner from the Sierra Club of Wisconsin talking about the environmental impact;

3. April 10 - An interview with Britnie Remer from 350 Wisconsin about the long-term climate impacts of data centers

This podcast is the first in a series of three podcasts about hyperscale data centers. These massive AI data center developments have been in the news in recent months, so we decided to learn more about them. What we found will likely surprise and concern you. In this podcast, we talk to Trish Boehlke and Shawn Haney from the group “No Data Center in Deforest”. When they heard a data center might be developed in their area, they had a lot of questions. It didn’t take long before they concluded this data center would not be good for their community. Because they became informed and engaged, they showed that democracy works. Take a listen and learn about their journey. (Recorded March 3, 2026)

In this episode, we talk with Cassie Steiner of the Sierra Club. Cassie provides a deeper understanding of the environmental impact of these massive data center developments. If all of the proposed data centers moved forward, they would dramatically change energy production in the state, causing our utility bills to go up. (Recorded February 27, 2026)

Reports, tool kits and resources referenced in this interview:

1. DNR Wisconsin Water Usage Report: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/WaterUse/WithdrawalReport/2024.pdf

2. Big Tech Unchecked Toolkit: https://www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/big-tech-unchecked-toolkit-community-action

3. Albania's AI Minister: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/world/europe/albania-ai-corruption-graft.html

4. GridLab's Large Load and Natural Gas Price Risk Study: https://gridlab.org/portfolio-item/large-loads-and-natural-gas-price-risk-2/

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