Before You Vote, Ask Where They Stand.

Glenn Grothman

Published as received from the congressional office.

Thank you for contacting me regarding data centers, I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

These large investments in infrastructure can bring economic opportunities to many communities through construction activity, long-term employment, and expanded digital infrastructure. At the same time, many have raised concerns about the potential for adverse impacts associated with the construction and operation of data centers, particularly regarding energy consumption, water usage, and land development. These are important considerations as communities evaluate how best to accommodate the growing demand for digital infrastructure.

Like you, I believe we must protect our natural resources for future generations to enjoy. I am proud to represent a beautiful district with lakes, rivers, and other natural attractions that are central to our way of life and local economy. At the same time, it is important to balance environmental protection with economic growth and technological innovation. As communities and policymakers consider new data center development, decisions should be grounded in sound science, transparent in their purpose, and mindful of both economic and environmental impacts. Please know I will keep your views in mind should any related legislation come before the House for a vote.

Thank you again for contacting me. Representing you in Congress is an honor and I appreciate hearing from you. Should you have other concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. To stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter by visiting my website at grothman.house.gov, and following me on X (@RepGrothman) and Facebook (Congressman Glenn Grothman).

Congressman Glenn Grothman
CongressmanGrothman@mail.house.gov
grothman.house.gov

Brad Smith

Published as received from the campaign.

1. Will you oppose new transmission corridors for data centers when existing corridors can reasonably be used?

Yes. If an existing transmission corridor can reasonably serve the project, I see no justification for building a new corridor simply because it is cheaper or more convenient for the developer.

We need to look at the full impact of these projects, not just the needs of the company building them. New transmission infrastructure can affect property owners, farmland, natural resources, and local communities. Before approving a new corridor, there should be a clear demonstration that existing infrastructure cannot reasonably meet the need and that the public benefits justify the additional impact.

2. Should data-center developers and their customers bear the infrastructure costs their projects create rather than shifting those costs to Wisconsin ratepayers?

Absolutely. Wisconsin families should not see their electric bills increase because a massive private data center needs billions of dollars in new generation and transmission infrastructure.

If a corporation creates a major infrastructure cost, that corporation and its customers should bear the cost. Residential ratepayers should not be used as a financing mechanism for private development.

I would support federal requirements tying federal approvals, incentives, or other support for large data-center projects to demonstrated protections for local consumers and ratepayers.

3. What federal protections will you support for groundwater, surface water, wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas affected by massive data-center development?

We need federal standards that require developers to disclose projected water use, cooling methods, electricity demand, emissions, and the infrastructure required to support the project before communities are asked to approve it.

I support upfront environmental impact assessments that identify water demand, energy strain, and long-term environmental costs. I also support national benchmarks for responsible water use and sustainable cooling, particularly in areas where aquifers and Great Lakes watersheds could be affected.

We should encourage water recycling, more efficient cooling technologies, and other approaches that reduce the burden on shared water resources. Development should not be allowed to move forward by cutting costs in ways that degrade the water and environment communities depend on.

4. Should local communities retain meaningful authority over data-center development and associated power and water infrastructure?

Yes. People who live with the consequences of a project deserve a meaningful voice before the project is approved. That means communities need the facts early, not after decisions have effectively been made.

I support full public disclosure of a project's expected electricity demand, water use, cooling system, emissions, and required grid upgrades. Communities should have the opportunity to evaluate those impacts and decide whether development with appropriate safeguards is right for them.

I am calling for a hard stop on rushed, secretive approvals until transparency, water protections, ratepayer safeguards, and meaningful community consent are guaranteed.

5. Specifically, what will you do in Congress to protect residents of Ozaukee County and WI-06 affected by major data-center and transmission projects?

I will push for federal standards that make transparency and accountability mandatory before these projects move forward. That involves requiring large AI and data-center projects to publicly disclose their expected electricity and water demand, cooling systems, emissions, and required utility upgrades. It means protecting residential ratepayers from being stuck with the bill for private infrastructure. It means requiring serious environmental review when projects could affect groundwater, surface water, wetlands, aquifers, or the Great Lakes watershed. And it means preserving meaningful local authority over whether and how these projects proceed.

I will also push for incentives that reward better technology, including water recycling, efficient cooling, clean energy, and other ways to reduce the burden on Wisconsin's shared resources.

For residents of Ozaukee County and across the 6th District, my commitment is straightforward: you should never be kept in the dark while a massive project is being planned in your backyard, and you should never be expected to absorb the costs while someone else collects the profits.

We can support innovation and economic growth without giving corporations a blank check. That's the standard I will bring to Congress.

Brad
BradSmithForCongress.com
Admin@BradSmithForCongress.com

Mike Thurow

Published as received from the campaign.

I am running as an independent, so I will not be on the ballot tomorrow. However, I will be on the ballot in the General Election in November and hope to earn your vote.

1. New transmission corridors when existing ones could work?

Yes, I'd oppose that. You don't cut a new line through somebody's farm or backyard when the corridor you've already got will do the job. Make the developer prove there's no other way before anyone touches new land.

2. Should developers and their customers pay the infrastructure costs, not ratepayers?

Yes. Flat out. The company that builds it and the tech customers who use it should pay for the poles, the pipes, and the power. Not a family in Ozaukee County who never asked for any of it. Right now the risk gets shoved onto ratepayers, and that's backwards.

3. Federal protections for groundwater, surface water, and wetlands?

These places use an enormous amount of water, and that's water our families, farms, and wells depend on. I'd back real, public water-use limits and monitoring, and I'd hold developers to the clean-water protections already on the books instead of letting them get waved through. I'm not going to pretend I've got every detail figured out. I'd sit down with local folks who know this ground before I'd ever sign off on it.

4. Should local communities keep meaningful authority?

Yes, and this one's not close for me. The people who live there should have the final say, not a boardroom or somebody in Washington. When Port Washington voted almost two to one to require public approval of big tax deals, that told you exactly how people feel. I'd protect that local voice, not override it.

5. Specifically for Ozaukee County and WI-06?

Three things. One, fight to make developers pay their own way so your bill doesn't go up for their project. Two, protect your water and your property, with real transparency instead of the black-box deals these things get done behind. Three, stand with your local officials instead of steamrolling them, and make sure no federal permit or dollar greases a project that sticks you with the cost. Your current congressman was asked who should pay for this. He said "it varies in different situations." I'll give you a straight answer and show up.

Thank you for voting, and for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions.

Mike Thurow
ThurowForCongress.com
team@thurowforcongress.com

Matthew Arndt

Published as received from the campaign.

I oppose all new construction of data centers in Wisconsin and elsewhere. I believe the main purpose of large data centers is to replace all human labor and surveil US citizens, which I strongly oppose.

I believe we need to protect our natural resources, clean air and water from these parasites like Sam Altman.

I’ll do everything in my constitutional power to stop data centers if I’m elected to office. I will work to influence other members of Congress to follow my lead.

Matthew Arndt
matthew@endthecartel.com
endthecartel.com