MENASHA (NBC 26) — Ark Data Centers moved into the former Kimberly-Clark building in Harrison a few years ago. The facility currently operates at 2 megawatts but plans to expand to 20 megawatts as part of a nationwide growth strategy.
"Other than potential fears, I have no complaints about them," Kelly Wenzel said.
Kelly and Paul Wenzel live just a few hundred feet from the data center.
The Wenzels and their neighbors said they haven't experienced any problems with the current operations but have concerns about the planned expansion.
"How big the expansion will be, how much power they'll be consuming, you know the usually concerns of anybody having a data center in their neighborhood," Paul Wenzel said.
Gabriel Unruh, Ark Data Center's vice president of product, strategy and marketing, said the company is planning nationwide expansion.
The company said it uses very little water to cool its servers, instead relying on Wisconsin's naturally cold air for cooling.
"This is actually one of the reasons why northeast Wisconsin are really favorable locations for data center growth because that cooler air does contribute to better energy usage and effectiveness compared to other markets that are, frankly, hotter year round," Unruh said.
