Cloverleaf Infrastructure is scouting land for its next hyper-scale data center, and Northeast Wisconsin is in its sights."They will be in Northeast Wisconsin in the next couple of years," said Aaron Bilyeu, Chief Development Of ficer at Cloverleaf Infrastructure.Bilyeu added that there are several Northeast Wisconsin communities in talks with Cloverleaf.Some local leaders say the developments would boost their tax base and bring in jobs.Others have concerns."It's a hot-button issue," noted Scott Mielke, Chairman of the Town of Pittsfield. "We just don't want to be blind-sided."The Pittsfield Town Board is discussing an ordinance to define and regulate any future data center that could come to the community."We have no offers or haven't heard or seen anything about a data center. We're just trying to get ahead of it," commented Mielke.Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here: Northeast Wisconsin communities prepare for potential data centersEarlier this spring, Mielke attended an informational session on data centers hosted by Green Bay economic development agency New North Inc. Seventy-four people registered for the event.New North Inc. President and CEO Patti Habeck described the goals of the session:"New North's goal for the March event was to educate community leaders on data centers -- how they work and their infrastructure needs, including energy and water -- through a neutral lens. We discussed key questions that leaders in each community will need to consider when evaluating the fit for them. The panels were designed to bring different perspectives to the dialogue."Mielke said he came away from the meeting with a key insight about local regulatory options."The one thing I did find out from that meeting is you can conditional use permit the heck out of them," remarked Mielke.Even with regulations, though, some residents say they aren't open to a data center in their community."I'd like to see a ban," said Noah Larscheid, who grew up in Pittsfield. "I don't see a benefit to the locals in the area for a data center."Residents like Larscheid want transparency from their leaders regarding data center talks.Mielke said the responsibility ultimately falls on elected officials."I just want to make sure we're looking out for the residents of Pittsfield, and with no ordinance in place, I don't believe we're doing our elected duty," Mielke noted.There is currently no county-wide ordinance in Brown County that would regulate data centers, meaning it is up to each town or village within the county to create its own regulations. ...read more read less