Data Center Power Play in Wisconsin

The report finds that data centers are the primary driver of near-term electricity demand growth in Wisconsin, which risks increasing reliance on fossil fuels under current policies. By implementing a Clean Electricity Standard and CO2 reduction policies, Wisconsin could generate 83% of its electricity from clean energy by 2050 and reach net-zero CO2 emissions. Such policies would avoid significant health-related costs and mortalities compared to current trajectories. The report recommends reintroducing Integrated Resource Planning and establishing a clean electricity standard to protect ratepayers and the climate.

• Data centers are currently the primary driver of electricity demand growth in Wisconsin, with growth expected to accelerate by 2030. Total electricity demand in the state is projected to increase by 29% by 2030 in a mid-demand growth scenario and 33% in a high-demand growth scenario, with data centers accounting for 68% to 72% of that growth between 2025 and 2030.
• Under current policies, Wisconsin's energy system will remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with coal and methane gas accounting for 70% of total state generation by 2050. In this scenario, gas capacity is projected to quadruple between 2026 and 2050.
• The adoption of a Clean Energy Standard (CES) and CO2 reduction policies could allow Wisconsin to generate 83% of its electricity from clean energy technologies, such as wind and solar, by 2050. This pathway would phase out all coal generation and 95% of unabated gas generation by 2050, reaching net-zero CO2 emissions in the power sector.
• Transitioning to clean energy policies would provide substantial public health and climate benefits, including an average of $346.9 million in avoided annual health-related costs by 2050 and a reduction in mortalities by an estimated 57% compared to current policy estimates.
• Data center growth significantly impacts electricity system costs; in the Current Policies scenario, data centers are responsible for 26% to 36% of total electricity costs from 2026 to 2050. Without specific policies to assign responsibility for these costs, utilities may pass them on to consumers through ratemaking.
• The report identifies specific legislative and regulatory recommendations to manage data center growth, including the reintroduction of Integrated Resource Planning (IRP), the establishment of a clean electricity standard, and the implementation of transparency requirements for data center energy and water use via the Data Center Accountability Bill.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2026). Data Center Power Play in Wisconsin. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/Data-Center-Power-Play-Wisconsin_0.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Data Center Power Play in Wisconsin. 2026. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/Data-Center-Power-Play-Wisconsin_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Data Center Power Play in Wisconsin |date=January 2026 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/Data-Center-Power-Play-Wisconsin_0.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2026data, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Data Center Power Play in Wisconsin}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/Data-Center-Power-Play-Wisconsin_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }