Wisconsin Residents Face Land Seizure for AI Data Center

A $15 billion data center project threatens to disrupt longtime property owners through eminent domain

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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A $15 billion AI data center project in Port Washington, Wisconsin is raising concerns among local residents who face the prospect of having their private land seized through eminent domain to build the necessary power infrastructure. Tom Uttech, an 83-year-old renowned landscape painter, is one such resident who has lived on his 52-acre property for nearly 40 years and fears the project will undo decades of work cultivating the land that serves as the inspiration for his art.

Why it matters

The conflict in Wisconsin highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of data centers to power the AI revolution and the rights of private landowners. As the demand for electricity to run these energy-intensive facilities increases, more communities are facing the threat of eminent domain as utilities seek to build new transmission lines and other infrastructure, often disrupting longtime residents and businesses.

The details

The data center project in Port Washington is part of the Trump administration's $500 billion Stargate partnership with OpenAI and Oracle. It will cover over 600 acres of farmland and require new high-voltage power lines, some reaching over 300 feet tall. Residents like Uttech have received letters from their utility company informing them that their land may be seized. Local officials argue the project will bring jobs and tax revenue, but activists have organized protests and even arrests over concerns about higher electricity prices and the use of eminent domain.

  • The data center project is currently under construction in Port Washington.
  • Uttech received a letter in the mail in early 2026 informing him of the potential power line project through his property.

The players

Tom Uttech

An 83-year-old renowned landscape painter who has lived on his 52-acre property in Saukville, Wisconsin for nearly 40 years.

Ted Neitzke

The mayor of Port Washington, Wisconsin, who is supportive of the data center project, arguing it will bring jobs and tax revenue to the community.

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence company partnering with the Trump administration on the $500 billion Stargate initiative to build the data center in Port Washington.

Oracle

Another technology company involved in the Stargate partnership and the data center project in Port Washington.

American Transmission Company (ATC)

The utility company responsible for building the new power lines that may run through 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, Spokesperson, OpenAI (ABC News)

What’s next

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will review the American Transmission Company's proposed power line routes, including the 'preferred' route that would run through Uttech's property, and select the final route for the project.

The takeaway

The conflict in Wisconsin over the AI data center project highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of the tech industry's infrastructure needs and the rights of private landowners. As more communities face the threat of eminent domain to support these large-scale projects, there are concerns about the impact on local residents, the environment, and the affordability of electricity.