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Voters bring data center, AI concerns to Wisconsin governor candidates

From JSOnline:

Francesca PicaClaudia LevensJaeha JangIsabella Russomanno Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

For a growing number of Wisconsin residents, the data center debate is personal. And that’s what they told candidates for governor face-to-face in Milwaukee July 29.

The five Democratic candidates for governor met at Turner Hall to discuss data centers and artificial intelligence at a town hall hosted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Presumptive Republican nominee Tom Tiffany was invited but declined to attend.

The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 11.

Following a debate hosted by Journal Sentinel political reporter Jessie Opoien, the candidates heard questions about data center policy and other matters directly from attendees during informal discussions.

Here’s what audience members wanted to know:

Should Wisconsin pause new data center development?

Allison Mally, 22, lives in a small village near Wisconsin Rapids, where a data center proposal surfaced in the spring. Those plans are on hold after the city passed stricter permitting requirements in May.

Meanwhile, some area residents are calling for a moratorium on new data center development – including Mally.

“The Wisconsin River is one of the most important lifebloods in the area because we have the cranberry industry just to the south of us,” Mally said. “Not to mention the possibility of rates going up with the utility and electric bills.”

Mally asked Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who opposes a statewide data center moratorium, what he thought about Wisconsin Rapids’ proposal. Crowley said the decision to pause data center development should rest with local municipalities, who can better weigh the risks and benefits of such projects for their residents.

If a local community doesn't want a data center and implements a moratorium, "that's perfect," Crowley said.

Mally still favors a statewide pause proposed by state Rep. Francesca Hong, the front runner.

Aryana Khan, 20, also made the three-hour trip from Wisconsin Rapids with her friend Cloey Hilliker, 23.

Khan has seen the local fervor around data center concerns in her own community. Around 500 people had attended a local town hall event on the proposal in the city, which took place in April days before the city voted on permitting requirements. Khan had volunteered at the event.

How should Wisconsin regulate AI use?

But when Khan approached state Sen. Kelda Roys' table on July 29, she wanted to know her perspective on the use and regulation of AI tools, which data centers serve as the physical infrastructure for.

Khan asked for Roys' thoughts on the “surge in Flock cameras” and other AI surveillance technology that gathers data about peoples’ likenesses.

Roys said surveillance data usage and privacy issues are critical to her campaign, one she wished the candidates had spoken more about during the panel.

Roys said her policy platform includes ways to regulate big tech companies and address everything from bots raising the prices of concert tickets to addictive social media platforms targeting kids to the weaponization of drones to protecting privacy from Flock cameras.

“I didn’t know much about (Roys) before I came here today. But by the end of it, it’s between her and Francesca,” Khan said.

“I think Kelda is focusing on broad legislative and executive actions around data centers. She has her mind on many different aspects. Whereas Francesca laser focused on a moratorium first and foremost.”

Hilliker asked former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes about what he’d do to address the negative mental health impacts of AI chatbots, dubbed “AI psychosis.” She also wanted to know how he’d regulate AI use to protect workers vulnerable from large-scale layoffs.

Barnes told them he’d work with state agencies to create rules about AI use that best fit the needs of different industries from health care to agriculture. He also said federal lawmakers have failed to properly address big tech’s negative mental health impacts for years.

Hilliker appreciated Barnes’ willingness to address AI from a public mental health perspective. But she's still leaning toward Hong, who she says is better able to motivate underrepresented and previously disengaged voters.

“I think we’re looking for more of a fight,” she said.

Barnes ended his campaign for governor July 30.

How should Wisconsin manage its power grid?

Logan Owens, 19, works in computing for Northwestern Mutual. He's noticed the increased attention to his field.

“It's kind of odd to watch my job become a core issue in the governor's race,” he said.

Owens wanted to test candidates’ knowledge of the power grid, including how they feel about permitting for new power plants and high-voltage transmission lines. Many of these projects are being built to service large data centers, and Owens worries they could lead to higher electric bills.  

Owens said some candidates dodged the more technical aspects of utility-related questions, though he was impressed by Dept. of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan’s grasp of power grid issues. For now, he’s undecided but also likes Hong and Crowley.

“Talking to these people directly and getting to ask my kind of silly, very hyper-specific questions, I don't always expect the greatest answer, but it's just the opportunity to ask that really has value to me,” he said.

Owens said the ability to speak one-on-one with candidates allows him to see what they have to offer beyond canned soundbytes.

“Ultimately, you either see them in attack ads, you see them in ads, or you see them repeating the same slogans,” he said. “And I think it's nice to be able to throw my question in and say, hey, what do you think about high-voltage power lines?”

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2026/07/30/voters-voice-concerns-to-wisconsin-governor-candidates-at-data-center-forum/91107352007/

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We Energies delays Oak Creek coal plant closure again

From JSOnline:

Francesca Pica

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We Energies will again delay the closure of its aging coal plant in Oak Creek.

The utility said in public filings to state regulators it's considering keeping two coal units at the Oak Creek Power Plant open into 2027. We Energies initially planned to shut down the plant in 2023 but delayed closure to 2025, then 2026, "to meet high energy demand periods."

The coal units first went online in the 1960s. They now run during periods of peak demand, typically the hottest and coldest days of the year, to help support the electric grid.

The utility says it wants to ensure grid reliability before shutting down the plant, referencing the extreme cold that hit southeast Wisconsin in January.

"Having available generation was incredibly important for reliability and also valuable for our customers," We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said.

We Energies is also waiting for new natural gas plants in Oak Creek and Kenosha County to go into service. The plants will help supplement new wind and solar projects as demand for electricity is expected to increase.

"How much [the coal plant] may run, even now through then, remains to be seen," Conway said. "But keeping it available will be super important for a really hot stretch or cold polar vortex."

Environmental groups say decision hurts public health

Environmental groups like Clean Wisconsin said extending the plant's life adds to damage the environment and the health of nearby residents.

"It's turning its back on the communities who are dealing with the pollution that comes from that plant every single day," Amy Barrilleaux, Clean Wisconsin communication director, told the Journal Sentinel.

Plant closure deadlines are set by utilities and don't have an enforcement mechanism – rendering them "meaningless," Barrilleaux said.

"To sit here and say, now it's going to be the end of 2027, I don't know who's going to believe that," she said.

Barrilleaux said the move keeps Wisconsin ratepayers on the hook longer for coal power, which is more expensive than renewable sources like wind and solar.

Conway said that because the plant runs only during periods of peak demand, when energy is at its most expensive, the electricity it supplies to the grid helps reduce overall costs.

The move comes as the Trump administration has ordered retiring coal plants to remain open, including in Michigan and Indiana. The Oak Creek extension is unrelated, Conway said.

Because the Michigan and Indiana plants operate on the same regional grid, Wisconsin residents pay costs associated with them in addition to the Oak Creek facility, Barrilleaux said.

"[The Trump administration's] desperate attempt to prop up what is a dying fuel source is just going to cost us a lot of money," Barrilleaux said.

Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/energy/2026/04/03/we-energies-to-keep-oak-creek-coal-plant-open-in-2027/89409096007/

We Energies wants to raise residential rates 14%. What to know about the utility's plan.

From JSOnline:

Francesca Pica

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We Energies customers will pay nearly 10% more for electricity by 2028 under the utility’s new rate proposal.  

We Energies is seeking a 9.2% electric rate hike for non-data center customers through 2028, according to filings submitted to state regulators April 1. That’s an additional $175.8 million in 2027 and $179.6 million in 2028.

Residential rates will rise 14.75% by 2028. If approved, We Energies customers will have experienced six rate hikes since 2020.

The three-member state Public Service Commission sets utilities’ electric, natural gas and steam rates. It is expected to rule on the rate increases later this year.

Here’s what to know:

How much will my electric bill rise?

Residential We Energies customers will see a 9.25% increase in 2027, or around $13 added to their electric bill, under the utility's proposal. The typical monthly bill is expected to total $157.33, up from $148.22 in 2026, according to the proposal.

In 2028, rates would rise another 5.5%. That would add $8-$9 to electric bills for a typical total of $166.02.

The proposed increase follows another double-digit rate hike in the rate case for 2025 and 2026.

Wisconsin Electric-Gas rates would rise 0.1% in 2027, before jumping 4.5% in 2028. Wisconsin Gas customers would see a 6.8% increase in 2027 followed by a 4% increase in 2028.

Typical We Energies electric bill, 2006-2028

The average electric bill for a We Energies residential customer who uses 660 kilowatt-hours per month.

71.5

72.6

76

79.7

86.8

90.8

90.8

98.4

99.7

101.7

102

102

102.2

102.3

106.6

108.1

108.1

124.5

128.2

135.9

142.6

157.3

166

*Rates for 2027 and 2028 are based on We Energies' proposal and are subject to change.

Get the dataCreated with Datawrapper

We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that utility bills remain "below the national average and in line with the Midwest."

But Tom Content, executive director of Wisconsin's Citizens Utility Board, hoped the utility would have moderated its residential rate increase given increasing concerns around affordability.

"Based on an initial snapshot, it looks like another double-digit increase for We Energies customers, who have already seen their bills rise much faster than inflation over the last four years," Content said.

What is driving the rate hike?

Construction of new energy projects accounts for most of the proposed rate increase in both 2027 and 2028.

We Energies is building over a dozen new solar fields, wind farms and natural gas plants that will add $6 billion in costs over the next few decades. Of that, around $1 billion will be spread across We Energies residential and business customer bills.

We Energies is seeking $230.8 million from residential customers in 2027 and 2028 for costs related to these projects.

The utility says the new projects will help transition its fleet to clean energy, saving significantly on fuel costs in the future.

“This is just continuing that plan, then layering on the data center growth,” said Rich Stasik, We Energies vice president of regulatory affairs. “Because of it, we’re buying more projects, but we’re still allocating the same amount of generation to our non-data center customers that we otherwise would have.”

What do data centers have to do with this?

Hyperscale data centers – like Microsoft’s Mount Pleasant campus and Vantage’s facilities in Port Washington – are driving most of the demand for new power generation.

Data center companies will pay around $5 billion, or more than 80%, of the $6 billion in new power generation recently approved by state regulators, according to the rate filing.

We Energies says residential customers will only pay for the power they use. The utility has asked the PSC for permission to create a separate rate for data center customers, which it says will shield other ratepayers from costs.

Consumer advocates and some PSC analysts have raised concerns that the rate proposal may not be strong enough to fully prevent cost shifting.

When will the Public Service Commission rule on the rate increases?

Commissioners are expected to rule on the rate case by the end of 2026.

The PSC typically holds public hearings on rate cases in the fall. It will also open a period for members of the public to submit comments online or by mail.

Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/energy/2026/04/02/we-energies-wants-to-raise-electric-rates-14-what-to-know/89408960007/

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