New Legislature, Governor-Elect Crowley Must Act on AI Data Centers
Here are the guardrails that will help protect our communities
Last fall, Clean Wisconsin was the first environmental group in the state to call for a pause on unchecked AI data center development. Now, just one year later, the need for urgent action has become even greater as the harms of AI data centers unfold in our state:
- Just three Wisconsin AI data centers will use as much energy as 4.7 million Wisconsin homes.
- 5,324 megawatts of dirty gas-burning power is being built or proposed to meet energy demand driven by AI data centers, representing the largest increase in fossil fuel generation in Wisconsin history.
- Just one large gas plant built to serve an AI data center could cause $1 billion in healthcare costs and 91 premature deaths over 30 years of operation.
- 27 billion gallons of water a year could be used by power plants serving 3 AI data centers in Wisconsin. That’s the equivalent water use of 1.3 million Wisconsin residents.
“We need to ensure there are protections for every Wisconsin community – whether they’re being asked to host an AI data center or breathe dirty air from a nearby fossil fuel power plant. Data centers are sited and approved locally, but they are causing statewide problems and we have to respond with a statewide solution,” says Clean Wisconsin Climate, Energy and Air Program Director Chelsea Chandler.
Clean Wisconsin is calling on state lawmakers to pass a comprehensive AI data center framework that includes:
- Require data center owners and operators to pay the full cost of new energy, water and wastewater infrastructure that will serve the project.
- Require that all new AI data centers are powered with 100% clean energy. It’s imperative that we stop the gas buildout and coal retirement delays.
- Full transparency about energy and water use before project approval, including indirect water use from gas, coal, and nuclear power production used to support the data center.
- Regular on-site water use reporting requirements once a data center is operational.
- Full transparency about chemicals used in closed loop cooling systems and disposal processes.
- Require data centers pay into statewide funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy and mitigate harms to those who have been negatively impacted.
- In emergency grid situations that lead to blackouts, cut off data centers before homes and businesses.
- Require that data centers be designed to maximize energy and water efficiency, reducing strain on our energy and water systems.
- Require that backup energy systems at data centers use clean energy sources like batteries or meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.
“Wisconsin doesn’t need data centers; data centers need Wisconsin,” Chandler says. “It’s time we come together as a state and dictate the terms. Clean Wisconsin will be working hard to make this vision a reality, for the good of our communities and our environment.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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