Oracle's planned AI datacenter in Wisconsin, known as Project Lighthouse, faces a real risk of missing its 2027 delivery target because the power grid connection has not yet received regulatory approval. Research firm Aterio warns that the campus, developed by Vantage in Port Washington with Oracle as tenant, may not come online in the second half of next year as the company has guided.
The immediate hurdle is an application from American Transmission Company (ATC) to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for approval to build the grid connection. ATC refiled its application in September after the original case was closed, restarting the review process. Aterio's base case estimates partial power in December 2027 and full supply in October 2028, while an extended review could push those dates to June 2028 and April 2029. Even the more favorable timeline would leave little room for testing and commissioning, with load expected to ramp mainly from the first quarter of 2028.
Oracle maintains the development is on schedule, but the company has also sent a force majeure notice to a Blue Owl Capital subsidiary developing Project Jupiter in New Mexico, seeking to defer payments if that campus is delayed. The Wisconsin facility is rated at 902 MW of computing load and 1.3 GW of total electricity demand, and Oracle could face more than $100 million a year in financing costs to guarantee power commitments. ATC is planning over $2 billion in transmission projects tied to datacenter developments across the state.