Primary interview series: Rydzewski challenging Born in 37th AD
In Wisconsin's Assembly District 37, candidates Mark Born and Steve Rydzewski are in a GOP primary, debating the state's role in regulating data center developments like the Meta project in Beaver Dam. Rydzewski advocates for a data center construction moratorium, while Born supports local control and state regulations on electricity costs and water usage for such projects.
The GOP primary election for Wisconsin's Assembly District 37 sees incumbent Rep. Mark Born challenged by Steve Rydzewski, with data center development emerging as a key issue. The debate centers on the state's involvement in regulating projects such as the $1 billion Meta data center currently under construction in Beaver Dam, a major city within the district.
Challenger Steve Rydzewski proposes a two-year, or at least 18-month, moratorium on data center construction. He argues this pause would allow communities to assess the full positive and negative impacts of already approved projects, emphasizing that Beaver Dam residents are experiencing negative consequences. Rydzewski also calls for increased government transparency, specifically in relation to the use of NDAs during data center development processes.
Rep. Mark Born, while not endorsing a statewide moratorium, believes that local governments should have the authority to implement moratoriums in their areas. He supports state-level regulation to safeguard communities, citing his backing of Assembly Bill 840. This bill, which passed the Assembly but not the Senate, aimed to prevent electricity infrastructure expansion costs related to data centers from being passed on to ratepayers and mandated the use of closed-loop cooling systems for water conservation.
Beyond data center policy, the candidates also discussed fiscal matters. Rydzewski criticized the state's expanding budget and Born's role on the Joint Finance Committee, advocating for tax base reduction. Born highlighted his past efforts to remove utility taxes and his support for a $1.8 billion surplus package aimed at returning money to taxpayers.