Overview
- The bill would bar data center developers from shifting electricity and grid construction costs to residential ratepayers.
- It requires closed-loop cooling systems and mandates reporting of total water use to the Department of Natural Resources.
- Provisions include limits on annual water consumption and a requirement to restore land if a project is abandoned.
- GOP leaders are holding community meetings in places such as Ozaukee County, Racine County and Chippewa Falls to promote the proposal.
- Wisconsin already has at least 40 data centers, with additional projects proposed in Beaver Dam, DeForest and Janesville.