Wisconsin clean energy: solar wins and a big policy gap
Wisconsin is seeing progress in clean energy projects like solar and wind, despite lacking a statewide clean energy mandate. However, data centers are straining the power grid, highlighted by the Public Utilities Commission's rejection of We Energies' request to modify financial guarantees for a large Oracle data center project due to potential customer burden. Experts advocate for adopting a comprehensive data center policy in the state.
Wisconsin is making strides in clean energy development with several large solar and wind projects recently approved, including the 225-megawatt Emerald Bluffs Solar Project in Juneau County and a 200-megawatt solar farm by Akron Solar in Adams County. These advancements come despite the state lacking a formal clean energy mandate or an integrated resource plan, with successes often driven by grassroots efforts and federal incentives.
However, the expansion of data centers poses a growing challenge to the state's power grid stability. A significant recent development involves the Public Utilities Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin, which rejected a request from We Energies. The utility sought to modify its financial guarantee requirements to accommodate a large data center project for Oracle, but the commission denied it, citing concerns that weakening these guarantees could transfer financial risks to customers if the data center project faced issues.
Energy experts, including Maria Chavez of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Heather Allen and Elizabeth Hittman of Elevate, emphasize the need for Wisconsin to adopt a comprehensive data center policy. They note that other states are actively working on such policies to regulate data center expansion and protect consumers, with some iterations having appeared in Wisconsin's last legislative session. This policy would provide a roadmap and guardrails for new energy generation and address the growing demands placed by data centers on the state's energy infrastructure.