Client News

Milldam’s Adam Waitkunas Participates in EUCI’s Data Center & Utility Conference

Milldam’s Adam Waitkunas Participates in EUCI’s Data Center & Utility Conference

Earlier this week, Milldam’s Adam Waitkunas presented in Denver at EUCI’s Data Center Project Development Due Diligence for Utilities & Developers, where he spoke about the increasingly critical role of community relations in data center development. Adam’s session focused on how thoughtful, proactive engagement can reduce risk, build trust, and create smoother pathways for both developers and utilities—especially as projects face heightened scrutiny at the local level. Adam also joined the event’s concluding panel with […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

Communities across the country intensified their pushback against large data center projects this week, led by a viral TikTok in Kenosha that quickly grew into a 20,000-signature petition opposing Microsoft’s plans. From Illinois to North Carolina, residents raised fresh concerns about water use, noise, land conversion, and a lack of transparency, often learning about massive developments only after key decisions had already been made. Several reports highlighted how nondisclosure agreements and limited public disclosure continue […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

This week’s Zoning In tracks a surge of community protests, legal reversals, and ballot-box consequences. In Virginia, residents again rallied against new facilities and Dominion’s six-mile transmission line just as the Digital Gateway project won a temporary reprieve in court — and data centers became a defining issue in statewide elections. Across Springdale, PA and Ypsilanti, MI, environmental justice and transparency debates are reshaping how local leaders weigh promises of investment against noise, water, and […]

Read More

Adam Waitkunas Catches Up With Bisnow About What Virginia’s Election Means For The Data Center Industry

Adam Waitkunas Catches Up With Bisnow About What Virginia’s Election Means For The Data Center Industry

In a post-election analysis, Bisnow spotlighted how data centers became an unexpected flashpoint in Virginia’s 2025 statewide races—culminating in Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s win and renewed scrutiny on energy costs, siting, and who pays for grid upgrades. Adam Waitkunas told Bisnow the industry should view Virginia as a warning shot, noting that the record levels of data center–centric advertising during the campaign underscore just how politicized the sector has become. Check out the full article at […]

Read More

Zoning IN

Zoning IN

Amid headlines blaming AI for soaring power bills, a Berkeley Lab/Brattle analysis adds needed nuance: large loads can lower average rates where spare capacity exists, while aging infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, storms, and some mandate-driven procurement are major price drivers. Regulators and politicians are responding in real time: Virginia’s statewide races are now openly about who pays for grid growth, utilities are proposing special rate classes for hyperscale users, Michigan’s MPSC is weighing stricter IRP guardrails […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

As local moratoria spread from Georgia to Virginia to the Midwest, a new AP–NORC poll reveals something striking: Americans are now more worried about the environmental impact of AI and data centers than they are about aviation, meat production, or cryptocurrency. This week’s Zoning In tracks a growing disconnect between industry momentum and community confidence. Dozens of projects remain paused or withdrawn amid questions about water, power, and transparency — from Jones County’s 90-day moratorium […]

Read More

Milldam Public Relations Launches Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to Support Data Center Site Selection Process

Milldam Public Relations Launches Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to Support Data Center Site Selection Process

Proactive due diligence service helps developers and municipalities anticipate local sentiment early in the site selection process – reducing risk, delays, and community opposition before significant investments are made BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Milldam Public Relations, a leading strategic communications firm specializing in the digital infrastructure sector, today announced the launch of its Data Center Community Risk & Readiness Assessment, a proactive due diligence service that helps data center developers, operators, and municipalities measure and interpret community sentiment before […]

Read More

Zoning In

Zoning In

From Georgia to the Midwest, local governments are drawing hard lines around data center expansion — and this week, the pushback hit a new pitch. DeKalb County, Georgia extended its moratorium through mid-December while unveiling a detailed “tiered” rulebook that classifies projects as minor, major, or campus-scale and requires developers to submit comprehensive plans for noise, water, energy, transmission, and stormwater impacts. Meanwhile, St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm blasted fellow officials for signing nondisclosure […]

Read More

Milldam’s President and 7×24 SoCal Board Member, Adam Waitkunas Attends Data Center Trends Event

Milldam’s President and 7×24 SoCal Board Member, Adam Waitkunas Attends Data Center Trends Event

Milldam Public Relations’ President Adam Waitkunas, serving in his role as a board member of the 7×24 Exchange Southern California Chapter, recently attended the organization’s Data Center Trends event hosted by DPR Construction in Pasadena. The gathering featured in-depth discussions on regional development, power availability, and the evolving design and delivery models shaping the next generation of data centers. Adam joined peers from across the industry to advance dialogue on collaboration between utilities, builders, and […]

Read More