At least 12 data center proposals in Alliant territory, documents show

The Cap Times reports that at least 12 data center proposals are in various stages of vetting within Alliant Energy's Wisconsin service area, but details on their locations and energy requirements are largely redacted from public documents. This lack of transparency has sparked concerns from environmental groups and citizens' advocates, who point to a pattern of secrecy surrounding these developments across the state. During a recent case brought by Alliant Energy to set electric rates for a Meta data center in Beaver Dam, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) requested information on all new data center requests. Alliant initially objected but eventually provided a list of 12 proposals, though specifics were blacked out, citing trade secrets. Abby Novinska-Lois, executive director of Healthy Climate Wisconsin, expressed alarm at the number of undisclosed projects, highlighting the public's exclusion from critical conversations. The article cites several known projects that exemplify the transparency issues, including Meta's use of an alias (Degas LLC) in Beaver Dam, non-disclosure agreements signed by Janesville officials for a Viridian Acquisitions project, and Cambrin LLC's exploration in Beloit. A data center planned for DeForest was ultimately scrapped after community pushback, partly due to concerns about the initial secrecy surrounding discussions between officials and developers. While the Wisconsin open records law permits redactions for trade secrets, the PSC required Alliant to revise its application due to extensive redactions. After reviewing confidential information, Brett Korte, a staff attorney with Clean Wisconsin, emphasized the need for public discourse on the environmental impacts and rapid pace of data center development. The PSC ultimately approved Alliant’s rate case for the Beaver Dam project and mandated that future data centers apply for large-load tariffs, a decision utility groups and environmental advocates believe will improve transparency for the public.