Wisconsin Assembly Approves Bill Preventing Data Centers from Passing Energy Costs to Consumers
The Wisconsin State Assembly has approved bill AB 840 with a 53-44 vote, aimed at shielding ratepayers from increased energy costs due to data center expansions. The bill prohibits data center operators from transferring their energy costs to residential consumers and mandates that data centers fund their own generation and transmission infrastructure.
Additionally, it requires data centers to implement closed-loop water systems for cooling, report annual water usage, and secure bonds for land reclamation costs. The bill, put forward by Representatives Shannon Zimmerman and Senator Romaine Quinn, will now move to the state senate for further consideration. Similar legislative efforts have been observed in other states like Ohio, Oregon, and Virginia, focusing on protecting consumers from elevated utility expenses linked to data center operations.
