Who's running for Wisconsin governor? These are the Democratic candidates
Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor have outlined their stances on data center development, with proposals ranging from environmental and construction guardrails to moratoriums on AI data centers. Candidates also addressed concerns about energy consumption, grid upgrades, and ensuring costs are not passed to residential customers. These discussions are part of their broader campaign platforms.
Four Democratic candidates vying for Wisconsin governor, Joel Brennan, David Crowley, Francesca Hong, and Kelda Roys, have shared their positions on data center development.
Joel Brennan described the data center business as the "wild west," advocating for environmental and construction guardrails, clear cost coverage, and transparency to prevent non-disclosure agreements that keep communities uninformed. David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, expressed concerns about long-term data center issues, prioritizing accountability for energy use and grid upgrades, and promoting the use of union labor for construction projects.
Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist representing Madison, is the only candidate proposing a moratorium on artificial intelligence data center construction. Her "Control-Alt-Delete" plan aims to allow time for research into the facilities' environmental and energy impacts, and she co-sponsored a bill to prevent energy utilities from passing data center accommodation costs to residential customers.
Kelda Roys, who represents the Wisconsin Senate's 26th District, stated that the government and public health should not be jeopardized to subsidize wealthy corporations in the tech sector, emphasizing that technology should benefit the public. While data centers are a discussed topic, they are one of several key issues for the candidates in the gubernatorial race.