Vos Warns Data Centers Issue Could Cost Republicans Votes

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos publicly chastised the Wisconsin State Senate for allowing a crucial bill designed to regulate data centers to die without a vote. Speaking at a WisPolitics event in Madison, Vos expressed deep disappointment that the legislation, which had passed the Assembly in January, was not on the Senate's agenda for what was expected to be their final session day of the year. He characterized the issue as one of the most significant he has encountered in his 22 years in office. The proposed bill aimed to implement several regulations for data centers, including mandatory data reporting and water recycling requirements. Critically, it sought to shift the financial burden of state power grid improvements related to data center operations from consumers to the data centers themselves. Furthermore, the legislation would have compelled project owners to restore land to its original state if a data center development plan remained uncompleted. Vos warned that the Senate's failure to address data center regulation could negatively impact the Republican party's standing in the November elections, potentially jeopardizing their majority. He highlighted public support for provisions requiring data centers to "pay their own way" and preventing abandoned sites from becoming "brownfields," referring to these as "80 percent issues" with widespread public backing. Despite ongoing negotiations with Democratic Governor Tony Evers on other legislative matters, Vos underscored the urgency of the data center bill, stating his belief that the Senate should vote on it if they wish to maintain their majority.