LETTER: Mayor sold out character of Port to forces it can’t control

To Ozaukee Press:

The proposed data center in Port Washington is the canary in the coal mine.

It will reshape Wisconsin’s economy for decades, strain its power grid, and expose just how unprepared our communities are.

With AI, crypto and advanced processors devouring electricity, we’ll need

not just miles of new high-voltage lines but also a massive expansion of generation capacity. That expansion will run across farmland and neighborhoods, stripping property through easements and creating a constant hum nobody asked for. Residents are already uneasy, but history shows that

even a majority of people won’t be able to stop it. Once the machine starts, it rolls over everyone.

Supporters point to economic development, but the truth is sobering: the jobs

will be minimal. Unlike factories of the past, modern data centers don’t hire thousands, they run with skeleton crews of highly specialized staff. The bulk of the “benefit” will flow to big tech, while local communities shoulder the disruption.

The bigger crisis looms in electrical generation itself. Coal is politically untouchable, solar and wind can’t scale, and natural gas pipelines face endless opposition. That leaves only nuclear power, the one proven, emission-free source capable of meeting demand. 

Wisconsin has a proud history of safely operating nuclear plants, like Point Beach and Kewaunee, for decades. And new developments, such as reactors fueled by thorium instead of enriched uranium, offer even cleaner, safer possibilities. Yet outdated fears and political cowardice have kept us from building more. Without nuclear, there is no realistic way to power the coming wave.

And make no mistake, the real fault for Port Washington’s predicament lies

at home. The city’s mayor and council chose to chase the illusion of progress, ignoring the consequences for residents. In doing so, the mayor handed over the character of the community and county to forces far bigger than Port can control. He enabled potential land grabs from neighbors in Saukville, Fredonia and West Bend who will shoulder the massive towers while allowing the company to hide behind a TIF that delays real revenue for decades.

The boom may be inevitable, but letting Port Washington be its test case was not. This expansion is sad, and it will reshape the city in ways few truly want. Other communities should take note: what’s playing out in Port will play out everywhere. The question is whether local leaders will protect their residents—or sell them out in the name of “growth.”

Edward Bell

Saukville