'Trading our farmland for a 'thing'': Comedian Charlie Berens at odds with AI data center coming to Port Washington
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Comedian Charlie Berens and Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke are at odds over the 1,600-acre, 3.2 million square foot artificial intelligence data center coming to Port Washington. CBS 58's Jessob Reisbeck sat down with both Berens and Neitzke in an exclusive two-part report.
Watch CBS 58's first report HERE.
Jessob Reisbeck: "Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI has said that if we stay on this trajectory, we'll all be gone in five years. Does it concern you that we're helping AI grow in our backyard?"
Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke: "No. No. I heard the same thing when I Was a teacher about the internet, that it was going to take my job away."
Charlie Berens took to his platform, Manitowoc Minute, to blast the AI data center -- saying why he thinks it's bad for Wisconsin.
Meantime, the effects of artificial intelligence remain an unknown about the facility.
"You are building an AI data center and the purpose of AI, as stated by the heads of the AI companies, is to replace our jobs," said Berens.
As for the jobs the AI data center creates, it's a hot topic. Yes, it creates thousands of jobs to build it but after that, how many people will actually work long-term in a building full of computers?
"I'd love to see the numbers," said Berens. "I'd love to see that because from my research with these data centers, they hire very few people for the amount of land that they take up."
"There will be more people working in one data center in Port Washington than work in our power plant. There will be between 100-300 people every day working there," Neitzke said. "We'll have four of them so only a couple hundred jobs in a community of 13,000 is a lot."
"How long are those jobs going to last if the purpose of these AI data centers is to replace jobs?" asked Berens.
And what company will those people be working for? Vantage Data Centers is he owner and operator of the facility, but what company they lease it to is not public knowledge and may never be. But at the same time, the mayor says there are no non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
"That was one of our early criteria that we would not sign a non-disclosure agreement which is very likely why I don't know who's going to go inside," said Neitzke.
"The AI companies are secretive in a lot of ways, and this is a case in point. You don't know exactly who it is, which tech company is coming in here," said Berens. "The point of an elected official is to represent the will of the people, but if you can't tell the people what's in the deal, how can you accurately reflect the will of the people?"
"We did listen. The people were heard," Nietzke said.
CBS 58's Jessob Reisbeck: "Why doesn't it concern you that you don't know who will be taking over a facility in your own backyard?"
Mayor Nietzke: "Because we know Vantage, and Vantage is not a seller. They're not going to build it and sell it. Their economic model is to own and operate that we have been told already that it will be an American company."
Mayor Neitzke says groundbreaking for the data center is set for mid-November with plans to be up and running in three years.
A done deal in his eyes, but a cause for concern that Berens won't give up on.
"I hold no ill will against him [Berens] and my request would be to seek the full picture, the full story," Nietzke said.
"I know what I think, but what's more important is that I just want people to be educated so they can say what they think," said Berens.
There are still things that need final approval when it comes to the power lines, generators, and infrastructure upgrades.
There are ways you can still get involved in the Port Washington AI data center conversation:
1. There is at least one local approval remaining. The City of Port Washington has not yet approved the Tax Increment District (TID) that will finance the public infrastructure associated with the data center (water main extensions, water treatment plant expansion, sewer extensions, etc.). Creating a TID is a complicated process. Approval is needed from the planning commission, common council, and a “Joint Review Board.” The steps are outlined in detail beginning on page 15 of this manual. Public hearings will be part of the process.
2. ATC, the powerline company, needs approval of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) to build the high-voltage powerlines that will serve the data center. ATC applied for approval in August. The PSC is still reviewing ATC’s application for completeness. Once the application is deemed complete, there will be a public comment period. CLICK HERE for a guide on how the public can engage with the PSC process.
3. Vantage has applied to the DNR for an air permit for the 45 diesel generators that will be located on the property. The DNR is in the process of reviewing the application. There will be a public comment period on the draft permit. To receive a notification when the public comment period begins, you can send an email to [email protected] and request to receive notice of all permit actions for “the Vantage data center facility in Ozaukee County, FID 246185280.”