Overview
- A near-capacity crowd gathered Tuesday night at the Juneau Community Center to question a Meta data center now under construction in Beaver Dam.
- Comedian and journalist Charlie Berens opened the event and urged that decisions reflect local priorities rather than those of a tech company.
- Meta has said the campus, announced last November, will exceed 700,000 square feet and support about 1,000 construction jobs and roughly 100 operational roles.
- Attendees voiced concerns about air and water impacts as well as potential effects on energy bills, while Alliant Energy said large users cover the grid investments required to serve them.
- Organizers cited limited public awareness during approval and early construction, and a second proposed data center is expected to go before the Beaver Dam Common Council later this month.