QTS DeForest Data Center Campus
DeForest, Dane County, WIDeveloper: QTS Data Centers
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
QTS Data Centers proposed a $12 billion, 1,600-acre data center campus just outside DeForest, Wisconsin, on land in the Town of Vienna it sought to annex into the village. After resident opposition and a state Department of Administration report, village staff found the project not feasible, QTS withdrew its applications, and the Village Board voted 7-0 on Feb. 3, 2026 to reject the annexation.
- Stated investment
- $12 billion
- Site size
- 1,600 acres
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Site size | 1,600 acres [3]Source excerpt“A proposed $12 billion, 1,600-acre data center campus just outside of DeForest” |
|---|---|
| Site size | 1,572.5 acres [5] land proposed for annexation from the Town of Vienna Source excerpt“The 7–0 vote stops the direct annexation of 1,572.5 acres of land from the Town of Vienna, a key step required for the large-scale data center proposal.” |
| Stated investment | $12 billion [3]Source excerpt“A proposed $12 billion, 1,600-acre data center campus just outside of DeForest that received mounting pushback from residents has hit a dead end after village staff members determined the project is not feasible.” |
Power
| Power supply | Draft agreement committed to drawing 45% of energy from renewable resources [2]Source excerpt“The agreement included a commitment that the data center would draw 45% of its energy from solar, wind or other renewable resources” |
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Money & incentives
| Payments / community benefits | $50 million community commitment within Dane County, with direct investments to DeForest and Vienna [1]Source excerpt“QTS said it would make 'an initial $50 million community commitment' within the county, with direct investments going to DeForest and Vienna.” |
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| Payments / community benefits | Draft deal included a $1.2 billion guaranteed taxable property value [2]Source excerpt“A guaranteed amount of taxable property value for the data center of $1.2 billion, which would be worth an estimated $12 million annually” |
Local decisions & site
| Deciding vote | DeForest Village Board voted 7-0 on Feb. 3, 2026 to reject the annexation [5]Source excerpt“The DeForest Village Board voted unanimously Tuesday, February 3 to reject a proposed annexation tied to the QTS data center development, ending the project's path forward in the village.” |
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Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Timeline
QTS announces plans for a data center campus in Dane County and a $50 million community commitment [1]
Wisconsin Department of Administration report finds the annexation not in the public interest [3]
Village staff determine the proposal is not feasible and recommend rejecting the annexation petition [4]
DeForest Village Board votes 7-0 to reject the annexation; QTS had withdrawn its plan amendment and rezoning applications [5]
Issues raised
Sources
- QTS plans to propose multibillion-dollar data center campus in Dane CountySpectrum News 1 · Oct 30, 2025 · news
- Rejected Wisconsin data center proposal had guaranteed tax revenue, housingWisconsin Watch · Aug 3, 2026 · news
- 'Finally able to breathe': DeForest data center critics get their wishThe Cap Times · news
- Village of DeForest StatementVillage of DeForest · Jan 27, 2026 · government
- Village of DeForest board unanimously rejects annexation tied to QTS data centerWKOW · Feb 3, 2026 · news