Wisconsin voters believe data center costs not worth the benefit: Poll
A recent Marquette Law school poll reveals that a majority of Wisconsin voters-55%-believe that the costs associated with data centers outweigh their benefits, while 44% think the benefits are greater. Notably, opposition to data centers is consistent across political parties, with similar percentages of Republicans, Democrats, and independents expressing concern. Data centers have become a contentious issue in the state,partly due to proposals offering notable local property tax breaks,such as $450 million in incentives for Vantage’s $8 billion project. Some projects, like Microsoft’s planned data center in Caledonia, have been abandoned amid public opposition. additionally, qualified data centers benefit from sales tax exemptions on construction materials, leading to substantial tax revenue losses for Wisconsin. This sentiment aligns with broader national trends, were many U.S. voters oppose the construction of data centers in their communities,especially when accompanied by tax incentives.
Wisconsin voters believe data center costs not worth the benefit: Poll
(The Center Square) – Wisconsin voters believe that the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits, according to a new Marquette Law School poll.
The poll showed that 55% believe the costs outweigh the benefits, while 44% believe the benefits outweigh the costs.
“This is interesting because there is no difference by party across this,” Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin said.
The poll showed 53% of Republicans, 55% of independents, and 56% of Democrats opposed data centers. The poll asked 846 registered voters the questions between Oct. 15-22.
“I think one of the things this teaches us is that if an issue is new, and candidates haven’t run campaigns on that issue,” Franklin said.
Data centers have become a hot-button issue across Wisconsin, with a proposal on the table to give $450 million in local property tax breaks toward Vantage’s $8 billion data center through a tax increment district.
Microsoft pulled out of a data center proposal in Caledonia in response to public opposition to the project, while Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack recently rejected a data center proposal.
Along with property tax breaks, qualified data centers in Wisconsin are exempt from sales tax on many construction materials through a program that has cost the state $70 million in forgone sales tax in its first two years.
A poll from Libertas Network earlier this year showed that most U.S. voters oppose having data centers built in their community, and even more oppose the data centers if tax incentives are awarded to have them built.
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The questions were asked upon suggestion from The Center Square.
A least 10 states are currently losing $100 million or more in taxes from data centers, according to an April report from Good Jobs First.
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