MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors today adopted a resolution urging the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass the proposed Data Center Accountability Bill (LRB 5432), legislation aimed at protecting Wisconsin’s environment, safeguarding public resources, and ensuring transparency and fairness as data centers rapidly expand across the state.
Authored by Supervisor Anne O’Connor and co-sponsored by Supervisors Patti Logsdon, Sky Z. Capriolo, Felesia A. Martin, Jack Eckblad, Caroline Gómez-Tom, Juan Miguel Martinez, Steven Shea, Kathleen Vincent, Sequanna Taylor, Priscilla E. Coggs-Jones, and Deanna Alexander, the resolution reflects growing concerns about the environmental, energy, and water-use impacts associated with large-scale data centers, particularly as demand surges alongside the rise of generative artificial intelligence and other data-intensive technologies. Supervisor Anne O’Connor issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin is seeing increasing interest from data center developers, but the scale and impacts of these facilities demand clear rules, transparency, and accountability,” said Supervisor O’Connor. “This resolution sends a strong message that economic development must not come at the expense of our environment, our water resources, or ratepayers.”
The Data Center Accountability Bill would require greater public disclosure of water and energy usage, establish fair energy pricing structures so data centers pay their share of infrastructure costs, strengthen labor standards, expand renewable energy options, and promote sustainable construction practices. It would also provide funding support for energy efficiency programs such as Focus on Energy.
The resolution adopted by the County Board supports the bill with a key amendment: an exemption for government entities to ensure Milwaukee County and other public bodies are not unintentionally classified as large energy consumers subject to additional fees.
“Milwaukee County has committed to becoming the healthiest county in Wisconsin and to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” O’Connor added. “We support smart, responsible growth that aligns with our values, protects residents, and ensures transparency.”
The resolution directs the Milwaukee County Director of Government Affairs to transmit the County Board’s position to members of the Wisconsin State Legislature and the Wisconsin Counties Association. It now heads to the desk of County Executive David Crowley for his review.
