Vantage Data Centers, in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle, announced a $15 billion-plus investment to build a large-scale data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin. The new “Lighthouse” campus will form a key part of OpenAI and Oracle’s broader 4.5-gigawatt Stargate expansion plan. Once complete in 2028, the campus will feature four hyperscale data centers providing close to a gigawatt of AI capacity, creating over 4,000 union construction jobs and more than 1,000 long-term positions.
Vantage said the campus will operate with 100% matched zero-emission energy through new solar, wind, and battery storage capacity, with 30% of that energy allocated to Wisconsin’s general grid. The project also targets “water positive” operations using closed-loop liquid cooling and local water restoration projects. Biodiversity measures include preserving 172 acres of natural land and planting over 2,000 native trees. Vantage will pursue LEED certification for all buildings on the 672-acre site.
The development is expected to add $2.7 billion to the regional GDP, alongside $175 million in infrastructure improvements, including expanded water and power systems. Vantage will fund all power upgrades through a dedicated We Energies rate, ensuring that other consumers do not face higher costs. Combined with Vantage’s Frontier campus in Texas, these projects bring the company’s total U.S. investment to over $40 billion.
• $15B+ hyperscale AI data center project named Lighthouse
• 4 data centers delivering ~1 GW of capacity by 2028
• 4,000 union construction jobs; 1,000+ long-term jobs
• 100% zero-emission matched energy, water-positive cooling
• $2.7B regional GDP impact and $175M in infrastructure upgrades
• Supported by OpenAI, Oracle, and WEC Energy Group
“As demand for data centers expands beyond traditional hubs, the upper Midwest has become a critical and strategic market for Vantage Data Centers and our customers,” said Dana Adams, president of North America, Vantage Data Centers. “Our investment in Wisconsin reflects the area’s strong foundation for digital growth to support sustainable AI innovation at scale.”
🌐 Analysis: Vantage’s Wisconsin investment aligns with a growing trend toward sustainable, regionally distributed AI infrastructure. The Lighthouse campus reinforces Oracle’s partnership with OpenAI to expand Stargate capacity and highlights DigitalBridge’s and Silver Lake’s deepening commitment to decarbonized hyperscale builds. It also underscores the upper Midwest’s emergence as a strategic location for renewable-powered AI data centers, complementing expansions by Meta, Microsoft, and Google across the region.
