By Daniel A Medina
Publication Date: 2026-05-17 11:00:00
Last summer, journalist and comedian Charlie Berens received messages on social media from concerned Wisconsin residents about plans for a massive data center campus in their state.
Developer Vantage Data Centers claimed the $8 billion project would be powered largely by zero-emissions energy resources such as solar, wind and battery storage. The company said the campus would bring thousands of temporary construction jobs and potentially more than 1,000 permanent jobs to Port Washington, a city of 13,000 people about a half-hour north of Milwaukee. Residents opposed the project due to a lack of transparency and criticized the lucrative tax incentives offered to Vantage. They worried about the strain on local water and energy sources from a massive 1.3 gigawatt project that could eventually span 1,900 acres.
Berens, who rose to Internet fame with his “Manitowoc Minute” videos that explored the quirks and stereotypes of the Midwest, had his own reservations about the artificial…
