Eau Claire, WI — More than 600 people gathered in Eau Claire on Saturday for Uniting West Wisconsin: A Regional Response to Data Centers, followed on Sunday by dozens more residents, local leaders, and elected officials at the West Wisconsin Neighborhood Chautauqua on Sunday, signaling the start of a regional movement to ensure transparency, accountability, and protections for the future of western Wisconsin communities.
Hosted by Great Lakes Neighbors United and GROWW (GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin), the two-day gathering brought together neighbors from communities across the region to discuss transparency, local control, and the impacts large-scale data center developments could have on Wisconsin’s water, farmland, energy system, and local economies.
The weekend featured music, education, storytelling, and community conversations, including a keynote appearance by comedian, author, and Emmy-winning journalist Charlie Berens.
Speaking to the crowd Saturday evening, Berens reflected on the significance of the gathering.
“What’s happening in this room tonight is one of the most inspiring things happening across the country. This is the only thing that scares big tech, because this is the only thing they can’t buy.”
Organizers emphasized that the weekend represented the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen relationships between neighboring communities before major development decisions are made.
Danny Akenson of GROWW challenged attendees to view the gathering as the start of long-term organizing.
“Uniting West Wisconsin is not just a one-night thing where we all come together, talk about data centers, and move on. Uniting West Wisconsin is a choice that’s in front of all of us on whether we’re going to act together, united, to protect our homes.”
At the end of the night, organizers launched a regional petition, asking communities across western Wisconsin to act locally and regionally to ensure full transparency, accountability, and protections around hyperscale data center developments, through the adoption of local moratoriums and regional standards for developments.
Cyndi Greening, founder of Chippewa Valley Indivisible, spoke about how data center proposals are bringing together people who rarely find themselves on the same side of an issue. “Across this valley and across this state, people who thought they disagreed about almost everything are finding that they agree about this.”
Throughout the weekend, speakers encouraged residents to move beyond reacting to proposals one community at a time and instead build regional cooperation capable of shaping Wisconsin’s future.
Great Lakes Neighbors United representative and Menomonie resident Blaine Halverson called for a more proactive approach.
“Let’s stop playing whack-a-mole. Let’s play offense. The rich and the powerful want us to argue so they can split the world between them.”
GROWW organizer John Calabrese shared similar sentiments. “In this time, where we are ‘supposed’ to be divided, we are all here together. And in this time, where it’s getting more and more difficult to even determine what is true and what is fake, this is true and this is real, right here… This is real power in this room.”
The West Wisconsin Neighborhood Chautauqua continued these conversations Sunday, bringing together residents from across western Wisconsin to share experiences, build relationships, and discuss strategies for protecting local communities while ensuring transparency and accountability around future development proposals.
Organizers say the weekend marked the beginning of a growing regional effort. In the months ahead, residents will continue hosting community forums, meeting with local and state elected officials, and building support for statewide action to ensure transparency, accountability, and local input before major data center developments move forward. Other images:
Western Wisconsin residents share concerns, discuss Data Center petition and future plans to bring in more neighbors. – photo by Hunter Riley
Resident and volunteer helps manage the line of hundreds formed outside Uniting West Wisconsin event. – photo by Darren Hoeppner
