Fast-Tracked Tech: Protecting Dunn County from Unregulated Modular Data Centers

Dunn County, WI’s Planning, Resources, and Development Committee was approached regarding modular data centers. The AI data center boom is moving fast without safeguards or guardrails! That includes Modular data centers. Modular data centers are the latest “fad” pushed by big tech into small rural communities like Dunn County.

Modular data centers enable rapid, scalable deployment but introduce critical risks. Dangers include structural vulnerabilities (moisture trapping, joint corrosion), complex long-term maintenance, hardware obsolescence, uneven power-cooling distribution, and security flaws. Additionally, localized facilities exacerbate grid strain and environmental concerns for nearby communities.

Take Action by Contacting your Dunn County Board of Supervisors: https://dunncountywi.gov/supervisors

Modular Data Centers, which are refabricated units assembled outdoors, are highly susceptible to trapped moisture. Rain during installation can leak into the structure and remain, leading to accelerated rusting and potential equipment short-circuits.

Transport regulations dictate module sizing, meaning structures may settle or shift unevenly on-site. This can misalign delicate connection points, causing water pathways, gas leaks, and physical stress on structural joints.

Concentrating hardware in smaller spaces makes airflow and cooling extremely challenging. These modules are prone to localized “hot spots” if fans or liquid-cooling loops fail.

The distributed, often unstaffed nature of edge modular data centers makes them prime targets for physical tampering and vandalism.

The surge in data center deployment—particularly for dense AI workloads—strains local utilities. This frequently causes rising utility bills, infrastructure overloads, and brownouts for local communities

Facilities located near residential zones bring relentless, low-frequency hums from HVAC and cooling systems. Furthermore, they rely on diesel backup generators that emit harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

Look at how modular data centers are put together.

The key here is rapid deployment, but are there safeguards or guardrails?