Data center power demands prompt new protections for Madison's electric grid
Madison adopted new requirements for businesses with unusually high electricity usage, including large data centers, to protect the borough's municipal power supply. The rules also aim to prevent existing customers from bearing the cost of needed infrastructure upgrades.
The Madison Borough Council voted 5-0 on Sept. 28 to adopt Ordinance 35-2026, creating additional requirements for businesses that consume unusually large amounts of electricity. The ordinance is intended to prevent large data centers and other high-demand users from straining Madison's municipal electric system.
The measure builds on land-use restrictions the borough had previously adopted for data centers and seeks to ensure that infrastructure costs associated with major power users are not passed on to existing customers.