Port Washington, WI – Residents of Port Washington have received assurances from We Energies that local energy rates will not increase as a result of the massive new data center campus being constructed by Vantage Data Centers, a project poised to transform the city into a significant hub for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The pledge comes in response to concerns raised by community members about the potential strain on the local power grid and the associated costs. We Energies President Mike Hooper, in an opinion piece published in the Ozaukee Press on March 4, 2026, detailed a “customer protection plan” proposed to state regulators designed to shield existing customers from bearing the financial burden of the data center’s energy demands.
“Protecting our customers from data center costs is at the foundation of our proposal filed with state regulators,” Hooper wrote. “Under our customer protection plan, data centers will pay their own way—covering both the power they leverage and the cost of new power generation and equipment built to serve them.”
The Lighthouse campus, as it’s known, is planned for a 672-acre site and will eventually encompass four data centers with a total of 902 megawatts of critical IT load, according to Vantage Data Centers. The project, initially developed for Oracle and Open AI, represents a $15 billion investment and is expected to create 1,000 permanent jobs. Construction began in mid-December 2025, with steel beams arriving in late February 2026. The campus is slated for completion in 2028.
We Energies intends to meet the increased energy demand by investing in both new renewable energy sources and modern natural gas facilities. Hooper emphasized that these investments will strengthen Wisconsin’s power grid and enhance energy security, adding “thousands of megawatts of locally produced electricity” for use throughout the state.
The utility acknowledges that recent increases in customer bills are primarily attributable to unusually cold weather in December and January and higher energy supply costs dictated by market forces. We Energies stated it mitigates these fluctuations through natural gas storage facilities, aiming to manage price spikes and minimize the impact on customer bills.
The proposal filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin includes binding agreements ensuring that data center owners, rather than other customers, will cover the costs of the necessary infrastructure upgrades. The commission’s review process will include input from customer groups and opportunities for public feedback, according to Hooper.
The project has not been without controversy. Residents have expressed concerns about water usage, noise levels, and the overall impact of the industrial-scale development on the rural character of Port Washington. A group called Save Port Washington! has been vocal in its opposition, highlighting the limited public input in the planning stages and the lack of a comprehensive environmental impact study.
Financing for the project is reportedly “on schedule,” according to a February 3, 2026 report, with Oracle confirming its commitment to the development. The initial phase of the campus will span roughly 700 acres, with potential for expansion to nearly 2,000 acres.
