Old fashioneds, anger at billionaires, and 500 people rallying against AI data centers in Eau Claire

More than 500 Wisconsin residents recently gathered at a local event center on June 13, where old fashioneds, live music, and comedy helped draw a crowd united by a shared concern: growing opposition to large-scale data centers being built to support the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.

What happened?

According to the Wisconsin Examiner, the event drew residents from across western Wisconsin for a night aimed at challenging the expansion of hyperscale AI data centers in the region. Speakers shared the stage with musicians and comedians. 

Behind the gathering were the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Indivisible, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin, and Great Lakes Neighbors United, the Wisconsin Examiner reported. 

The organizations hope to turn local opposition into momentum for stronger statewide safeguards, pointing to a proposed data center in Menomonie that was shelved last year after residents successfully pushed local officials to revise zoning rules.

"This is a big election year, and I know all candidates should be expecting, if they're not already, a lot of questions about data centers," Danny Akenson, an organizer with Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin, said at the event. "We need to make sure that communities have a voice in the decision making, and I hope that the candidates that make sure that local control is protected are the ones that people really think about."

Why does it matter?

Data centers have become a flashpoint in communities across the country because they can require enormous amounts of electricity, land, and water. Supporters say they can bring investment and help power the digital tools that many people increasingly rely on. Critics, however, argue that the trade-offs too often fall on nearby residents through strained water supplies, environmental disruption, and potentially higher utility bills.

AI is closely tied to that debate because the technology depends on energy-intensive computing infrastructure. In some cases, AI can help optimize power grids, improve efficiency, and support clean energy planning. But its rapid expansion has also fueled concerns about rising electricity demand, water-heavy cooling systems, job disruption, security risks, misinformation, and other unintended consequences that can affect daily life long before most people ever decide to use a chatbot.

For some people at the event, the argument was rooted in their relationship to the place itself. Cyndi Greening, leader of Chippewa Valley Indivisible, said, "For us the land really matters. This is where we swim and play and raise our kids."

What are people saying?

For some who attended, the event offered a learning opportunity. Ron Demotts, a Menomonie resident, told The Examiner, "I don't know the first thing about the topic," saying he had noticed yard signs around town without understanding why the issue had become such a major fight.

Others said their opposition was already clear. Jan Schneider said, "I do not support the data centers, I don't support the energy they take, the land that they take."

Elizabeth Yost, who lives in Chippewa Falls, said worries about water and irritation with AI both helped bring her there. "We're really concerned about water access and water quality," she said, adding that AI is "being forced on" her through everyday tech.

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