Wisconsin
Does Wisconsin have laws regulating data centers? What to know about the latest projects, environmental concerns
Aerial view of the Microsoft’s data center in Mount Pleasant
See an aerial view of the Microsoft’s data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
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.
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Sugar River Emergency Medical Services (EMS) received a $20,000 grant from Only in Wisconsin Giving on Thursday.
“This is an exciting time both for our region and state, and a real ability to show what happens when communities work together,” Sugar River EMS Chief Chris Backes said. “We think what we’ve built in partnership here is a model for what’s possible to improve rural emergency medical care.”
Only in Wisconsin Giving is the philanthropic area of the New Glarus Brewing Company.
The grant will help the department purchase a new cardiac monitor defibrillator for a brand-new ambulance that will be in use this summer.
“Only in Wisconsin Giving has taken great pride in providing grants to all the first responders in our area for many, many years,” President of Only in Wisconsin Giving Scott May said. “From police and EMS, to the volunteer firefighters in our area, ensuring folks in rural areas are covered is something that is very important to us.”
Sugar River EMS is a collaboration between seven municipalities serving over 10,000 people in northern Green and Dane Counties.
Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.
Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
A Safe Haven Baby Box has been purchased for Wisconsin Rapids. The next step is choosing the best alarm system for the project before it can be installed.
WISCONSIN RAPIDS − The city is close to having a Safe Haven Baby Box installed to help protect babies who are unwanted or unable to be cared for by their parents.
Volunteers have raised $35,000 for the Safe Haven Baby Box project and spent about $17,000 to pay for the box. The remainder will help to cover the cost of an alarm system and installation of the box in Wisconsin Rapids’ Fire Station 2, 1641 W. Grand Ave.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are secure, temperature-controlled, ventilated boxes that provide a place to anonymously put a newborn baby the mother can not or does not want to keep.
The project currently is waiting on the selection of an alarm system, said Linda Casper, who has led the efforts to get a Baby Box. Wisconsin Rapids Fire Chief Benjamin Goodreau is researching what system would be the best and most cost effective, Casper said. The alarm will alert the Wood County Communications Center when the box is opened. A delayed alarm then sounds after the baby is placed in the box and it is closed. The second alarm is delayed to allow the person dropping off the baby time to leave the area, Casper said.
Casper said she learned about the Baby Box when she was reading a newsletter from a state organization she and her husband belong to and found an article about the Safe Haven Baby Box. Casper thought it was a good idea for Wisconsin Rapids and contacted Wisconsin Rapids City Council member Jeff Penzkover about it. After discussions about a location that would work for the Baby Box, it was decided to place it at Wisconsin Rapids Fire Station 2.
Once the alarm system is chosen, Altmann Construction will begin the process of installing the box, Casper said. The installation will require removing bricks from the outside wall of the fire station. Before the box can be put into service, the firefighters and some members of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office will have to be trained on the correct protocols for handling a baby being left in the box, Casper said. Fire Department administration also will have to adjust the protocols to fit the department, she said.
Since the efforts to get a Baby Box in Wisconsin Rapids have become known, Casper has been getting phone calls from people in other communities, including Marshfield and Wausau, who want to know how she got the project going.
How you can help
Although the initial cost of the Baby Box is covered, Casper and the other people who have worked to bring the lifesaving device to Wisconsin Rapids still are working on raising more money. The box will need to be inspected each year by Safe Haven and the alarm system will have a monthly fee, Casper said. She hopes to raise enough to cover the costs for years to come.
People interested in helping can send donations to: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 1150 Second St. N., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. Please put “SHBB,” for Safe Haven Baby Box, on the memo line so church staff know where the money should go.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
Spring practice has wrapped up across the country, and college football has officially entered its quiet period of summer doldrums.
However, the mass influx of new intel on transfers gleaned from spring ball means top recruiting sites 247Sports and On3/Rivals have updated their national transfer portal rankings, and the Badgers’ class has gained more respect from both services since the initial transfer boom in the winter.
Wisconsin’s 2026 transfer haul currently checks in at No. 15 in the country on On3/Rivals, up slightly from its perch at No. 18 this winter. That’s good enough for third in the Big Ten behind UCLA (No. 11) and Indiana (No. 1).
247Sports sees the Badgers’ class a little differently; they’ve awarded Wisconsin with the No. 38-ranked class in the nation. That checks in at ninth in the Big Ten. Still, the outlet has bumped its individual ratings for several of the Badgers’ incoming transfers.
After initially not having signed a four-star transfer portal prospect in the eyes of 247Sports, the site has bumped quarterback Colton Joseph, running back Abu Sama and safety Marvin Burks Jr. to four-star transfer prospects, giving the Badgers three blue-chip portal players. Center Austin Kawecki was also bumped to a high three-star portal prospect.
On3, meanwhile, sees Wisconsin with just one four-star portal prospect in the Iowa State transfer tailback Sama.
It’s interesting to note that On3’s transfer portal grading system evaluates all of Wisconsin’s portal movement, additions and departures combined. 247Sports’ system is less additive and only evaluates teams based on how it ranks their newcomers.
Why it matters
In this day and age, programs have no choice but to deftly navigate the transfer portal if they want any shot at success. That doesn’t always mean you need to add over 30 signees, like Wisconsin did, but it’s a good sign that the Badgers are gaining recognition for one of the most important aspects of roster building.
Wisconsin is going to be a team largely fueled by mercenaries this season. I’d expect the vast majority of the Badgers’ production, especially on offense where new faces at quarterback, running back, tight end and receiver figure to dominate reps.
The Badgers still have a solid core of home-grown players, namely their two studs at inside linebacker and a handful of key cogs along the offensive line. After all, they rank 35th nationally in returning production; the cupboard isn’t entirely bare.
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