Data centers a hot issue in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional race
Data center regulations have become a central issue in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District race, with challenger Rebecca Cooke criticizing incumbent Derrick Van Orden. Van Orden recently voted for a federal act requiring data centers to cover their full energy costs, while past discussions involved a rejected federal moratorium on state and local data center regulations. Public polling indicates significant opposition to data centers, particularly regarding tax breaks and energy consumption.
The role of data centers and their regulation has emerged as a key issue in the 3rd Congressional District race in Wisconsin. Challenger Rebecca Cooke has launched a commercial accusing incumbent Derrick Van Orden of failing to protect taxpayers on data center regulations. This refers to a proposed 10-year moratorium on state and local data center regulations that was passed by the House but later removed from a federal bill by the Senate.
In response, Van Orden, along with the majority of the House, recently voted for the Ratepayer Protection Act. This legislation mandates that state regulators require data center companies to pay the full cost of energy generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades necessitated by their facilities. Van Orden stated that Wisconsin families should not bear the burden of subsidizing the massive energy demands of data centers.
The debate also highlights Cooke's connections to organizations that advocate for data center development, including the Democratic think tank Third Way and the Wisconsin Technology Council. The latter has specifically pushed for large-scale data center projects by Microsoft in Mount Pleasant and Meta in Beaver Dam. Polling data indicates a growing national opposition to data centers, primarily due to concerns over tax breaks and increased energy costs, with 68% of respondents believing communities should be able to limit such facilities if they strain local resources.