'It’s animal cruelty': Saukville dairy farmer says proposed power lines for data center could ruin his livelihood

SAUKVILLE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With the groundbreaking for the $8 billion Port Washington Artificial Intelligence Data Center expected within the next few weeks, residents outside of the city continue to share their concerns about the long-term impacts.

To fuel that data center, power lines will need to be built and could go through dozens of people's yards.

One local dairy farmer says if that happens, he may have to sell his farm.

“We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but we just, we just can’t farm next to that line," said dairy farmer Jeff Opitz.

Jeff Opitz says his Saukville dairy farm has been in his family for five generations, and now he's anxiously waiting for the fate of his farm to be decided.

“If we are the chosen route, these lines are only going to be like 300 feet from my milk center," said Opitz.

Rockland Dairy Farm sits along the American Transmission Company's proposed preferred route to build power lines that would fuel the data center.

"These power lines create ground currents, electromagnetic fields, and they kind of float around and the cows can feel that on their feet," said Opitz. "When they’re drinking water, it will bother them and sometimes if it gets to a high enough level, they can feel it while getting milked.”

The farm houses more than 900 cows, which he says produce three semi tankards of milk every two days. He says that product is mainly distributed within the state of Wisconsin. However, Opitz says if those power lines are built along his property, that could change.

"It’s animal cruelty, I mean it shortens a cow‘s life," said Opitz. "It raises our veterinarian costs, delays breeding, reduces milk production, mastitis, so you get utter infections."

Opitz is just one of many residents asking the ATC to add onto current routes instead.

“I want them to take an existing line that’s already a right away and add to the capacity of those right aways and not ruin new areas, cause this line affects like 50 houses."

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is currently reviewing the ATC's proposal. The ATC says a decision is not expected until next spring. In the meantime, residents are left waiting.

“I try not to think about it," said Opitz. "We’re trying to just go about our day, but I guess we’re trying to figure out a strategy of how we’re going to fight it."