Protecting Consumers and the Environment
Wisconsin can welcome investment into the state while safeguarding affordability, the environment, and local communities. AB 840 passed the Assembly this week, containing many key provisions to regulate data centers and ensure accountability for consumer protection.
The bill ensures that data centers are responsible for all utility costs, including electricity, construction, and usage, preventing these costs from being passed on to other consumers. Another requirement is for developers to prioritize Wisconsin based labor during construction to ensure these new jobs benefit state residents. The bill also mandates that any renewable facilities used for data centers must be based on site. Doing so avoids unnecessary transmission expansion, reduces pressure on the statewide electric grid, and prevents burdening communities with large energy projects that solely serve facilities located elsewhere.
Additionally, this bill requires closed-loop cooling to minimize water usage, unless future innovation creates a process that uses less water. Data centers would have to report their total water consumption to the DNR and acquire reclamation bonds for ecological restoration and responsible land management. Notably, these facilities are already subject to existing industrial environmental regulations.
Wisconsin needs to stay proactive in protecting consumers and the environment as new investments choose our state. This targeted bill does both, and I look forward to this legislation progressing.
Restraining Adversarial Influence
The Assembly also passed a series of bills to protect our state from foreign adversaries. AB 30 prohibits a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in Wisconsin. With increasing national concerns about foreign adversaries purchasing domestic land near critical assets, this bill is a necessary and mindful measure to protect Wisconsin’s security, economy, and citizens.
AB 415 strengthens Wisconsin’s cybersecurity by prohibiting state agencies from using applications, software, or generative AI owned or controlled by foreign adversaries. The bill is a critically important update to existing executive policy that codifies the protection of state systems from foreign threats.
AB 662 forbids the state from contracting with any business headquartered or primarily domiciled in a country listed as a foreign adversary. Preventing the state and its agencies from contracting with entities that pose security risks to our infrastructure and information systems is an essential regulation for protecting Wisconsin.
These bills utilize the widely accepted federal definition of foreign adversaries to enforce the provisions against hostile actors. I am glad to support these bills to help Wisconsin maintain our security and sovereignty.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On Monday of this week, we honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflected on his unwavering efforts to bring about justice and equality. May Dr. King’s message continue to inspire us all to strive for a better future.
Follow Along on Facebook
Want to hear more about what’s going on in Madison and the district? Follow my Facebook page for weekly updates and to learn more about bills, events, and efforts I’m involved in. Find my Facebook page here: facebook.com/RepSteffen/.
Contact Me
My office is always available to help with any state-related questions or concerns you may have. You can reach my office at (608) 237-9104, or email me at Rep.Steffen@legis.wisconsin.
