Massive AI Data Center Threatens Wisconsin Residents' Land

A $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington could force some locals to give up their property through eminent domain.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A planned $15 billion AI data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin is facing backlash from local residents who fear they could lose parts of their land to eminent domain. This includes 83-year-old landscape painter Tom Uttech, who has spent decades cultivating his 52-acre property that serves as the inspiration for his art. The data center project, part of a partnership between the Trump administration, OpenAI, and Oracle, requires new high-voltage power lines that could cut through Uttech's land. While the project promises economic benefits for the region, it has ignited concerns over rising electricity prices and the use of eminent domain.

Why it matters

The conflict highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of data centers to power the AI revolution and the rights of private landowners. As demand for electricity to fuel these energy-intensive facilities increases, more communities across the U.S. may face similar battles over eminent domain and the impact on local residents and the environment.

The details

The planned $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington would cover over 500 football fields of farmland. It is part of the Trump administration's $500 billion Stargate partnership with OpenAI and Oracle to accelerate the AI industry. To power the massive facility, new high-voltage transmission lines would need to be built, potentially cutting through the 52-acre property of 83-year-old landscape painter Tom Uttech. Uttech has spent decades cultivating his land into a prairie that serves as the inspiration for his art. The utility company, American Transmission Company (ATC), is considering two route options, one of which would run directly through Uttech's property.

  • The data center project is currently under construction.
  • ATC will submit its proposed transmission line routes to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for review in the coming months.

The players

Tom Uttech

An 83-year-old landscape painter who has lived on and maintained his 52-acre property in Saukville, Wisconsin for nearly 40 years. The property serves as the inspiration for his art.

Ted Neitzke

The mayor of Port Washington, Wisconsin, who is supportive of the data center project, saying it will transform the community and provide significant economic benefits.

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence research company that is part of the Trump administration's $500 billion Stargate partnership to advance AI technology.

Oracle

A technology company that is also part of the Stargate partnership and will be involved in the Port Washington data center project.

American Transmission Company (ATC)

The utility company that is proposing new high-voltage transmission lines to power the data center, including a route that could cut through Tom Uttech's property.

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What they’re saying

“I couldn't believe it, and I still don't. They'd be putting power lines that are 300 or something feet tall, taller than apparently the Statue of Liberty.”

— Tom Uttech (ABC News)

“It's exciting because it's going to transform our community, it's going to create a tax base and jobs and secondary and tertiary workforce and opportunities that we have not even envisioned, and it's going to lead us into a real renaissance.”

— Ted Neitzke, Mayor of Port Washington (ABC News)

“In Wisconsin, and across all of our U.S. Stargate sites, we are committed to paying our own way on energy so that our operations do not increase local electricity prices.”

— Jamie Radice, OpenAI spokesperson (ABC News)

What’s next

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will review ATC's proposed transmission line routes and select the final route in the coming months. Tom Uttech and local activists are fighting to protect private property rights and ensure the data center project does not raise electricity prices for residents.

The takeaway

The battle over the AI data center in Port Washington highlights the growing tensions between the tech industry's need for massive new infrastructure and the rights of local residents. As demand for electricity to power data centers increases, more communities may face similar conflicts over eminent domain and the environmental impact of these large-scale projects.