This story was originally published by The Dairyland Patriot.

Rural Wisconsin is asking the right questions about data centers — Photo by Geoffrey Moffett / Unsplash

By John Imes

In Grant County, residents are asking questions that deserve statewide attention.

What will this mean for our electric bills? How much water will these facilities use? And who decides before communities even know what is being proposed?

Those questions are not theoretical. Large-scale data center development is moving quickly into rural Wisconsin, and the scale is unlike anything the state has seen.

Just two proposed projects have requested nearly four gigawatts of electricity. That is more than all Wisconsin households combined. Meeting that demand will drive decisions about power plants, transmission lines, and water systems for decades.

In Wisconsin’s Driftless Region, known for its scenic valleys, prime farmland, and world-class trout streams, a single proposed project could cover roughly 500 acres and bring significant investment. The developer says it will fund key electrical infrastructure and rely on closed-loop cooling systems.

Those are important commitments. But they do not resolve the central issue: who ultimately bears the cost and risk.

Last week, the Public Service Commission took an important step toward answering that question.

In its preliminary decision on We Energies’ proposed Very Large Customer rate structure, the Commission signaled that data centers and other large users should be required to pay the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve them. That includes generation, transmission, and distribution.

Commissioners also supported measures to reduce risk for other customers, including longer contract terms, a lower participation threshold, and eliminating provisions that could have shifted fuel and construction costs onto households and small businesses.

That principle is straightforward and necessary. Families, farms, and small businesses should not subsidize infrastructure built for large-scale data centers.

But this is only a first step. Major decisions still lie ahead, including utility rate cases, transmission approvals, and federal proceedings that will determine whether these protections hold.

For rural communities, the stakes are high.

Energy costs are not abstract. A mid-sized farm may already spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on electricity. Even modest increases tied to large infrastructure investments can have real impacts on margins and long-term viability.

Water raises equally serious concerns. Large facilities require a reliable supply and introduce risks that communities cannot ignore, including the potential for contamination of local groundwater and surface water systems if safeguards fail.

There is also a missed opportunity. Data centers generate substantial waste heat that can be reused to support nearby industries, hospitals, and schools. Without good planning, that resource is simply lost.

That is why the conversation is not about being for or against data centers.

It is about how Wisconsin can welcome investment and protect communities at the same time. But that requires clear rules.

The Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin has outlined a practical framework that aligns with what communities are asking for: full cost accountability, use of clean, renewable and cost-effective energy sources, demand response to reduce strain on the grid, early local engagement, and enforceable community benefit agreements.

These are not barriers. They are the foundation for responsible growth.

What is happening in Grant County reflects a broader shift across Wisconsin.

This is no longer just a technology story. It is about energy systems, water resources, land use, and long-term economic resilience—and whether rural communities help shape the future or are left reacting to it.

Data centers are coming. That much is clear.

Across the state, communities are paying attention and asking informed questions about costs, risks, and long-term impacts.

The Public Service Commission has taken a meaningful first step. What comes next will determine whether that progress translates into real protection for Wisconsin ratepayers.

If we listen and act, Wisconsin can support innovation while safeguarding the land, water, and communities that define our state.

That is the opportunity in front of us.

John Imes is Co-Founder and Director of the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and spoke at a public forum on data centers in Grant County on Earth Day.

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