Data center proposals have spread across the country, but with one Dane County town winning its battle against a project, eyes are now on DeForest for inspiration.
When Virginia-based QTS, a Blackstone-backed data center company, announced a project in DeForest, residents began voicing their concerns about environmental impacts and a lack of transparency.
Emails show DeForest staff were strategizing with QTS representatives and Alliant Energy as early as March 2025, months before announcing the proposal last October. Dan Jansen, a member of “No Data Centers in DeForest,” questioned if DeForest Village President Jane Wolfgram Cahill had remained neutral in the process…