An area state representative is highlighting a future bill regarding data center costs in Wisconsin.
3rd District Assemblyman Ron Tusler explains that the state’s digital economy is growing, and the demand for data centers is increasing for cloud computing, mobile communications, and artificial intelligence.
The Harrison Republican states that Wisconsin has seen other states where people who live near a data center have issues with electric costs being passed onto them.
To prevent the problem, Republican Representatives Shannon Zimmerman of River Falls and State Senator Romaine Quinn of Birchwood will introduce a new bill that would protect ratepayers and private industry, which will have to pay its own bills like everyone else.
Rep. Tusler finishes saying that if the bill passes, “Wisconsin will be one of the few states to have struck a balance between favorable pro-business policies that attract data centers and policies that protect ratepayers from paying data centers’ electric costs.”
He and the other state officials will have a press conference in Green Bay on Monday to give more information.
Data centers have been a hot-button issue for some Wisconsin residents.
The City of Port Washington approved a new data center, which has sparked pushback from residents.
