Wisconsin

Does Wisconsin have laws regulating data centers? What to know about the latest projects, environmental concerns

Published

4 months ago

November 13, 2025

Press Room

Does Wisconsin have laws regulating data centers? What to know about the latest projects, environmental concerns

The rise of the digital economy and AI has increased the need for data centers, with 46 currently in Wisconsin and more planned.
Data centers have drawn criticism for their significant water and energy consumption, with some using as much water as a small city.
Many data center operators lack transparency, often signing non-disclosure agreements with local governments about their water usage.
A proposed bill in Wisconsin aims to increase transparency by requiring data centers to report their water and energy use.

While a growing digital economy and use of artificial intelligence has increased the need for physical facilities to store, manage and process data, there is currently little to no regulation in place to mitigate environmental impacts and increase transparency for data processing centers in Wisconsin.

Data centers have drawn criticism from some community members over environmental concerns about sustainability because the facilities require an enormous amount of water and energy to operate. Fewer than one-third track water usage, and, often, data centers sign nondisclosure agreements with local governments on water use.

Midwest states like Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan have become a popular choice for housing data centers due to their close proximity to the Great Lakes, which are seen as an endless freshwater supply.

According to datacentermap.com, Wisconsin is currently home to 46 data processing centers, or data centers, with plans for more. The facilities are concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin, particularly in the Milwaukee area, which, for now, is home to 20 data centers.

Here’s your guide to data centers in Wisconsin.

Does Wisconsin have laws regulating data centers?

Currently, the only mention of data centers in state statute is for tax incentives, however, a newly proposed bill would create rules to fill a “legislative void” by increasing transparency surrounding massive data processing and storage facilities.

In a Nov. 6 memo, bill co-sponsor Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay, said the legislation aims to hold data centers and the companies behind them accountable by requiring more transparency around water usage and energy consumption. Additionally, the bill would require increased renewable energy sources across the state, prioritize good-paying, local jobs and insulate ratepayers from the costs of these projects.

While a lot of decisions surrounding data centers originate at the local level of government, Habush Sinykin said in a Nov. 6 press release the state Legislature also “has a responsibility to regulate this emerging industry.”

“The new legislation being proposed today is about making sure that we have clear, statewide guardrails in place that provide people in communities across Wisconsin with the information and transparency they need to engage in the local decision-making process in an informed, effective manner from the start,” Habush Sinykin said.

What impact do data centers have on the environment?

An August report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes found some data center sites can use between 1 and 5 million gallons of water per day. The average American household uses a few hundred gallons a day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Many Great Lakes states lead the nation in the number of data centers due to the freshwater resources available to them, which are needed to cool hyperscale data centers, some of which can use as much water as a small city.

The report contends that data center owners are not transparent about their water footprint, and there is no requirement for them share that information publicly. Fewer than one-third track water usage, and, often, data centers sign nondisclosure agreements with local governments on water use.

On Sept. 15, Midwest Environmental Advocates filed a legal action, on behalf of the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, against the City of Racine to disclose projected water use at Microsoft’s Mount Pleasant data center.

The move is one of the first of many that will likely become the next phase of controversy over Great Lakes water rights as more tech companies look to the region for its seemingly endless supply of water.

Unsustainable water use can cause cities to sink because the ground becomes more compact. The Alliance for the Great Lakes report notes Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis and Detroit sink more each year. Over time, this threatens drinking water supplies and infrastructure.

How much energy do data centers in Wisconsin use?

Demand for energy is increasing in Wisconsin, in part, due to the data centers popping up in the state.

Data centers in southeast Wisconsin account for more than half the 3.3 gigawatts of increased energy demand WEC Energy Group, We Energies’ parent company, expects to experience by 2030, said President and CEO Scott Lauber during an Oct. 30 earnings call.

These include the first phase of Microsoft’s $7.3 billion Mount Pleasant data center project and a $15 billion data center campus in Port Washington, which will power OpenAI and Oracle’s artificial intelligence programs.

While data centers account for a large part of the increased demand for energy in Wisconsin, We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said demand for energy in Wisconsin is also expected to grow outside of data center projects, which has prompted the company to file a flurry of applications to spend more than $5.5 billion on new energy projects.

The utility filed plans for nine major energy projects with the state Public Service Commission on Oct. 17. If approved, the plants would add nearly three gigawatts of energy to the grid, or enough to power more than two million homes.

Since a majority of the expected energy demand is coming from data centers, under We Energies’ proposal, data center customers would be required to cover 75% of the cost to build and maintain the plant, which would be passed along through energy bills. Other We Energies customers would cover the remaining 25%, as well as the annual cost of natural gas.

Additionally, as part of its rate plan proposal, We Energies would require data center companies to enter a 10-year service agreement that then automatically renews for one-year terms. If a company ends its agreement early, it would have to pay the remaining cost of the infrastructure powering its data centers.

Where are Wisconsin’s major data center projects?

Here’s where some of Wisconsin’s major data center projects are happening, as of Nov. 13.

Mount Pleasant Microsoft data center campus

Microsoft is finishing construction on its first Racine County data center, which is to be completed in early 2026. The company says it plans to hire more than 400 employees to work at the first data center and once the second data center opens, the total number of employees will be nearly 800 for both facilities.

Construction for the second data center is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2028. Thousands of construction jobs are planned for the completion of the data center, the company said.

Microsoft just expanded its Racine County data center land holdings with two more purchases totaling around $38 million, according to land deeds posted online by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue on Nov. 10. Microsoft said it now owns 2,005 acres in Mount Pleasant.

Beaver Dam Meta data center

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, plans to spend more than $1 billion to build a data center in Beaver Dam. The data center campus will span over 700,000 square feet, according to a Nov. 12 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp announcement.

The planned data center would bring roughly 100 jobs to the area and support 1,000 construction trade jobs in the process, the company said. The data center is planning to go online in 2027.

QTS development in Dane County

Data center operator QTS is in the process of submitting a zoning application to the DeForest Village Board for its proposed multibillion dollar development in Dane County.

The Virginia-based company wants to develop up to five buildings over time, though those plans could change depending on the village board approval process. The company has purchase agreements for the project site, which are contingent on its rezoning.

If approved, QTS also plans on starting a $50 million fund to support local institutions, which includes scholarships and workforce partnerships with Madison Area Technical College and research partnerships with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

How many data centers are there in Wisconsin?

As of November 2025, Wisconsin is home to 46 data centers, and that number is only growing. Is there a data center in your community? Check out the list below:

Milwaukee area (20 data centers)

Data Holdings Milwaukee: 3135 W. Highland Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TierPoint Milwaukee: 3701 W. Burnham St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1547 Critical Systems Realty: 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TSR Solutions: 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
New Era Technology-Milwaukee: 10400 W. Innovation Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Aventus Lakes: 7901 W. Clinton Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cogent Data Center-Milwaukee 1: 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cogent Data Center-Milwaukee 2: 2915 S 5th Court, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Netwurx Milwaukee: 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Vaultas Milwaukee: 3135 W. Highland Blvd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ISCorp North MQN: 10325 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, Wisconsin
ISCorp South MQN: 10235 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, Wisconsin
CyberLynk Network Inc.: 10125 S. 52nd St., Franklin, Wisconsin
Expedient Franklin: 4777 Ironwood Drive, Franklin, Wisconsin
Windstream Brookfield: 13935 Bishops Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin
Lumen Milwaukee: 3235 Intertech Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin
Veolina Data Center: 8450 W. Forest Home Ave., Greenfield, Wisconsin
Cloverleaf Ozaukee County: Lake Drive/Dixie Drive, Port Washington, Wisconsin
Airiam Hartland: 1040 Cottonwood Ave., Hartland, Wisconsin
Mircosoft: Caldonia, Wisconsin*

*Microsoft abandoned its plans to have 244 acres of farm land rezoned for a data center after pushback from residents and local officials. However, it is possible Microsoft will still build a Caledonia data center at a new location in the village or somewhere else in the county.

Madison area (11 data centers)

US Signal Madison WI01: 222 W. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin
US Signal Madison WI02: 5515 Nobel Drive, Madison, Wisconsin
EdgeConneX Madison: 4916 E. Broadway, Madison, Wisconsin
Dane County Data Exchange 1: 4916 E. Broadway, Madison, Wisconsin
Dane County Data Exchange 2: 3351 Dairy Drive, Madison, Wisconsin
5NINES Data Center: 222 W. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin
SupraNet Madison: 8000 Excelsior Drive, Madison, Wisconsin
HC Colo #1: 612 W. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin
Lumen Madison: 612 W. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin
Meta: N8853 County Road A, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
QTS Wisconsin: Dane County, Wisconsin

Kenosha-Racine area (5 data centers)

OFFSITE: 3618 7th Ave., Kenosha, Wisconsin
ExcalTech Kenosha: 3618 8th Ave., Kenosha, Wisconsin
Microsoft: 12123-12827 Louis Sorenson Road, Sturtevant, Wisconsin
Microsoft: 12734 Louis Sorenson Road, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
Microsoft: County Rd KR and 90th St, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin

Fox River Valley (5 data centers)

Ark Data Centers Green Bay: Fire Lane 11, Harrison, Wisconsin
WIN-Green Bay Data Center: 417 Pine St., Green Bay, Wisconsin
Netsonic Wisconsin Data Center: 1263 Main St., Green Bay, Wisconsin
HBS Little Chute: 1700 Stephen St., Little Chute, Wisconsin
New Era Technology-Appleton: 2201 E. Enterprise Ave., Appleton, Wisconsin

Central Wisconsin (3 data centers)

Wildcard One Data Center: Indianhead Drive, Mosinee, Wisconsin
Aventus 715: 901 Commerce Drive, Marshfield, Wisconsin
CyberOne Data: 141 Market Ave., Port Edwards, Wisconsin

Chippewa Valley (2 data centers)

WIN-Eau Claire Data Center: 800 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Balloonist LLC (unknown company): County Road B, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Francesca Pica, Caitlin Looby, Ricardo Torres and Claudia Levens of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.

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Wisconsin

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

6 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Men’s Basketball

March 19, 2026

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 19, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 12 High Point and No. 5 Wisconsin’s matchup in the first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

Published

18 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

MADISON (AP) — As sports fans wager billions of dollars on the NCAA basketball tournaments, Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at an expanded sports betting plan that could bank big bucks for the state in the future.

A measure given final approval Tuesday would let the state’s tribal gambling sites start offering online sports betting to people anywhere in Wisconsin. But the bill is contingent on the signature of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, which is no sure bet. And it wouldn’t take effect until after the state negotiates new deals with American Indian tribes who would run the sports betting — long after the current basketball tournaments wrap up.

Here’s how Wisconsin and other states are approaching sports betting:

Sports betting is booming in states

Legal sports betting has spread from one state — Nevada — to 39 states and Washington, D.C., since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door in 2018. If Evers signs off on the expansion, Wisconsin would become the 32nd state to allow online sports wagering, which is how most people place bets.

Across the U.S., state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion of bets last year, generating revenues of nearly $17 billion after winnings were paid out to customers, according to the American Gaming Association. That marked an almost 23% increase over the previous year.

Gambling in Wisconsin goes through tribes

Gambling is legal in Wisconsin only on tribal lands under exclusive contracts between tribes and the state. Sports bets currently can be placed only at certain tribal casinos, and online sports betting is illegal.

Under the Wisconsin tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through that gambling is returned to the state. In 2024, the tribes paid the state just over $66 million from revenue generated at casinos.

Wisconsin proposes to follow the Florida model

Under the Wisconsin legislation, online sports betting would be allowed only if the infrastructure to manage the bets, such as computer servers, is located on tribal lands in the state. That approach, known as the “hub-and-spoke” model, already is used in Florida.

Supporters of the measure include several Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They contend people currently are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets or crossing into other states where it’s legal, including neighboring Illinois.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he opposes online gambling, but people are already doing it and “I would rather make sure that Wisconsinites have some sort of control over that.”

The legislation has drawn opposition from the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics. They argue it wouldn’t make financial sense for them to partner with Wisconsin tribes, because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues must go back to the tribes. They would prefer a state constitutional amendment opening sports betting to all operators.

“It is simply not economically feasible for a commercial operator to hand over 60% or more of its revenue to an in-state gaming entity, just for the right to operate in the state,” Sports Betting Alliance representative Damon Stewart said in submitted testimony opposing the bill.

Governor’s support is unclear

Wisconsin’s measure has divided Republicans since it was introduced last year. It took 12 Democrats joining with nine Republicans to pass the bill in the Senate. The Assembly, also controlled by Republicans, passed it on a voice vote without debate last month.

It now heads to Evers, who initially said he would sign it as long as it was passed in consultation with — and the support of — the state’s tribes. Evers has since raised concerns, noting last month that not all of the state’s 11 tribes are registered as in support. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Revenues from sports bets can take a while to start flowing

If Evers signs the legislation, Wisconsin residents may still have to wait to place bets through smartphones and computers. It often takes months to launch new sports betting programs.

North Carolina’s governor signed legislation in June 2023 to expand sports betting from three tribal casinos to online platforms. But online betting did not begin until March 2024.

Missouri voters narrowly approved sports wagering in November 2024. But it didn’t launch until last December. And the state has yet to reap a big windfall. Through the first two months, Missouri sportsbooks handled $928 million of bets, but that resulted in just $659,000 in state taxes.

Some states look to squeeze more out of sports bets

Since adopting sports betting, some states already have revamped their laws to try to take a bigger share of the money. Taxes have been raised or restructured in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. And Colorado and Virginia have pared back the tax deductions they originally allowed.

Illinois has taken multiple bites, most recently adding fees of 25-50 cents on every sports bet that gets placed. And Chicago began charging an additional 10.25% tax on sports betting revenues on Jan. 1.

Louisiana raised is sports betting taxes last year to help fund college athletics. The new law directs one-quarter of the tax revenue from online sports wagering to be split among public universities with Division I football programs and be used “for the benefit of student athletes.”

Collegiate prop bets face push back

Sports betting often involves more than just guessing which team will win. Some of the most popular bets focus on player performance, like how many points a particular athlete will score. Those proposition bets also have been at the center of recent scandals, with players alleged to have rigged their performance.

The NCAA in 2023 began encouraging states to adopt restrictions on bets involving college athletes. Since then, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have joined the ranks of states banning individual prop bets on college athletes.

More than a dozen states place no limits on collegiate prop bets while nearly an equal number prohibit all such bets. Other states fall somewhere in between, including some that allow prop bets on collegiate athletes only for games that don’t involve their home-state schools.

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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

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Wisconsin

Poll results show Wisconsin reaching Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament

Published

1 day ago

March 18, 2026

Press Room

Poll results show Wisconsin reaching Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Wisconsin Badgers are set to meet High Point in the men’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19. Will the Badgers advance? How far can UW go overall?

Earlier this week we asked readers to vote how deep of a run Wisconsin will make in the tournament. Here are the results:

Wisconsin will reach the Sweet 16

More than half of the respondents to our poll, or 56% of the 238 votes cast, predict the Badgers will make it to the Sweet 16. It would mark Wisconsin’s first trip to the final 16 since 2017, when it lost to Florida, 84-83.

What about an early exit?

About 18% of voters believe Wisconsin will bow out in one of the first two rounds, with 4.6% predicting a loss in the first game to High Point, and 13% envisioning a loss in the following round of 32.

Wisconsin as NCAA champions

Wisconsin will be crowned the NCAA champion on April 6 according to 4.6% of our voters, which ironically, is the exact percentage of voters who believe the Badgers will lose their first-round game to High Point.

15% of voters see Wisconsin’s season concluding in the Elite Eight, and 5% see UW reaching the Final Four before the run ends. 1.3% believe UW will reach the NCAA championship game but miss out on the crown.

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