An Act to create 134.44 of the statutes; Relating to: moratorium on data centers.
SB1061 would create a new statutory section establishing a moratorium on operating certain large data centers in Wisconsin unless a long list of policy conditions is first enacted by law. The bill defines a covered data center by size, server count, or electricity demand, and then bars operation unless the state creates a statewide planning authority, limits cost-shifting to residential customers, eliminates subsidies, requires public reporting of water and electricity use, and adopts environmental safeguards for air, water, and noise impacts.
The bill also requires 100% of data center energy to come from newly built, directly accessible renewable energy, with prevailing wage or collectively bargained wage requirements for construction of both the renewable projects and the data centers themselves. In addition, it would restore the Public Service Commission’s integrated resource planning authority, prohibit nondisclosure agreements involving data centers and public officials, require prior municipal referendum approval before siting a data center, and create a dedicated enforcement and penalty structure.
If enacted, SB1061 would significantly restrict the development and operation of large data centers in Wisconsin by conditioning their legality on a broad set of new statewide policy changes. It would affect data center operators, developers, utilities, local governments, and potentially residential ratepayers by addressing utility cost allocation, land-use approval, labor standards, environmental regulation, and public disclosure. The bill would also alter state regulatory authority by restoring the Public Service Commission’s integrated resource planning role and would create new statutory requirements and enforcement mechanisms specific to data centers.
The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to committee, but there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes included here. Based on the bill’s structure, it appears to reflect strong concern about the rapid expansion of data centers and their impacts on energy demand, water use, local communities, and utility costs. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment.
The main points of contention are likely the bill’s broad moratorium approach and the extensive preconditions it imposes before data centers may operate. Potentially disputed issues include whether data centers should bear their own energy and infrastructure costs, whether renewable energy and wage mandates are appropriate, whether municipal referenda should be required, and whether the state should eliminate subsidies and impose special environmental and disclosure rules. These provisions would likely be opposed by data center developers, utilities, and some local officials, while supported by advocates concerned about residential rate impacts, environmental effects, labor standards, and community oversight.