Data Center Campus
QTS is exploring the opportunity to establish a new data center campus in Dane County. We are committed to being a responsible and engaged neighbor, bringing economic growth, environmental stewardship and a focus on community prosperity to the region.
For more than two decades, we’ve built lasting partnerships with the communities where we live and work. We’re proud of these relationships and guided by our social values commitments. Together, we’ll continue to listen, support and grow with the people of Wisconsin as trusted neighbors in a shared future.
We are proud to partner with schools and tech programs to build the next generation of talent.
We build stronger communities by showing up. QTS associates receive nearly a week of paid volunteer time each year.
We invest in local organizations through grants focused on driving meaningful, lasting impact.
We proudly sponsor community initiatives that foster engagement and strengthen the neighborhoods we serve.
We’re committed to keeping Dane County informed and engaged at every stage.
A data center is a purpose-built building that stores a large amount of digital data. This data – and the applications used to create, process and share it – is housed in servers that reside within the data center. Data centers are vital hubs for businesses, governments and organizations that rely on technology.
They drive innovation in agrotechnology, empowering farms and ranches to boost efficiency, yield and profitability. Embracing these technological advancements paves the way for a brighter, more productive future in agriculture.
Data centers bring large investment to the area resulting in increased tax revenues. This tax revenue, at the direction of local leaders, can go towards addressing pressing issues for community members, including public works, community development programs and education.
Data centers create technology ecosystems, driving more technology and infrastructure companies to the area and creating more high-wage jobs. The building of a data center campus creates thousands of construction and building trade jobs. Data centers require ongoing maintenance, which generates revenue and job demand for furnishing and equipping, security, maintenance vendors and other on-site support companies.
QTS is the global leader in water-free cooling. Our data centers are built with a water-free cooling system that does not consume water for cooling, once operational.
Our innovative cooling technology uses a closed-loop system that saves millions of gallons of water annually per megawatt compared to traditional evaporative cooling methods.
In 2024 alone, the QTS water-free cooling design saved nearly 1.5 billion gallons of water worldwide, helping to protect the planet’s natural resources while enabling the digital future.
Once the cooling technology is operational, municipal water is only used for standard building needs such as restrooms, kitchens, cleaning and irrigation — similar to any other commercial facility.
QTS is committed to building and operating sustainable data centers to minimize our environmental impact. Our facilities are designed to LEED standards, achieve Energy Star Building Certification and use Energy Star appliances.
We are focused on using carbon-free sources whenever possible, investing in renewable energy projects, exploring innovative energy solutions and helping our customers use clean electricity at our sites.
QTS is committed to protecting the environment and wildlife habitats. In the building of our data centers, we conduct independent environmental studies, including wetlands, biological and habitat studies, and consult with environmental specialists during our site exploration and development phases to help protect the natural ecosystem.
In addition, QTS actively seeks to minimize and mitigate impacts to biological species and sensitive ecosystems and habitats by coordinating with environmental and wildlife agencies and implementing construction activities outside of timeframes for mating, nesting and migration of certain species.
To further minimize the impact of our data center builds, QTS has developed a Tree Replacement Program that aims to replant more trees than cleared during the development of our data centers. By replacing the trees, we are minimizing the impact on the community and protecting the natural environment to support the entire ecosystem.
Additionally, the exterior lighting system at our data center campus is designed to reduce impact on wildlife and natural areas while also meeting code requirements.
A common misconception is that living near a data center poses health risks due to radiation. According to the World Health Organization,1 all buildings, regardless of usage and occupancy, emit electromagnetic radiation. Most people are exposed to low levels of electric fields each day and most data centers do not emit more radiation than a typical building.
Despite extensive research, there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields is harmful to health.2
Data centers generate hundreds of permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs for the community over the course of several years.
Data centers also require ongoing maintenance, which generates tax revenue and job demand for furnishing and equipping, security, maintenance vendors and other on-site support companies.
According to a recent PwC report commissioned by the Data Center Coalition, each job created directly by a data center supports an additional six jobs across the U.S. economy.
Data centers generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for local communities.
These projects have funded local priorities like more police cars, playgrounds and books for schools and firetrucks. QTS is working with Dane County authorities to determine what community priorities its taxes will fund.
QTS also invests in local workforce development opportunities to create a diverse talent pipeline for STEM careers.
Diesel generators are used for emergency backup purposes only and are not the main source of power for our data centers. Our on-site backup generators are equipped with high-efficiency filters to protect air quality and minimize emissions.
From your energy provider, Alliant Energy:
New data center developments are expected to boost energy sales. This increase in sales will help distribute fixed costs and transmission expenses across a larger customer base, contributing to more stable and manageable rates for the communities we have the privilege to serve.
From your energy provider, Alliant Energy:
As technology use grows, energy demand grows. Alliant Energy is ready. We are modernizing our energy infrastructure and advancing responsible solutions. Our “all of the above” energy mix balances new energy technology with traditional sources to deliver the reliable, responsible and affordable energy that matters most to the communities we serve. Our investments in new technology will further enhance efficiency and system operations as well.
From your energy provider, Alliant Energy:
As a utility, we continually take steps to ensure an adequate energy supply. While the energy growth we are seeing now is extensive, our systems and processes at Alliant Energy are centered on ensuring we have enough supply to meet demand. No customer, or group of customers, is “taking all the power” as we match supply with demand all day, every day. As a company, we are required to have enough power, plus a reserve margin, to serve customers no matter what and large energy users or data centers haven’t changed this for us.
From your energy provider, Alliant Energy:
New electrical infrastructure will be built on QTS or American Transmission (ATC) property. Any new transmission line infrastructure will be located on the project site, connecting the existing ATC substation to customer-owned substations.
We’re QTS, a global leader in digital infrastructure with over 20 years of experience designing, building, and operating data centers that keep our world running and connected.
QTS is planning a new data center near Madison, Wisconsin.
See how our commitment to community and innovation extends across the Midwest. Check out our work in neighboring Iowa and Illinois to learn more about our Cedar Rapids and Chicago projects.
QTS is Powered by People who are here for you.
Stay tuned for updates on development.
Becoming one of the fastest growing data center companies was no accident. Our innovative thinkers are the go-to sources for the latest information in data service space.
