Wisconsin Data Center News

Mar 18, 2026

Google data center environmental review process sparks debate in Hermantown community

Hermantown city officials have announced they are updating the AUAR for the proposed Google data center.

Main action: Hermantown is updating the AUAR (alternative urban area-wide review) for the proposed Google data center after the AUAR was approved in October; the city expects the AUAR update to take seven months, will hold two public comment periods, and permitting cannot proceed until environmental review is complete.
Background and details: Opponents are calling for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) instead; the Minnesota EQB states that AUAR and EIS provide comparable levels of analysis but differ in use case (EIS for a specific project, AUAR for area-wide scenarios). Hermantown cites the project’s “rapidly evolving technological elements” and a projected 8–10 year construction period as reasons the AUAR’s flexibility and status as a “living-document” are appropriate. The city, as the responsible governmental unit (RGU), has the final decision on the level of environmental review.

Mar 16, 2026

Dell Breaks the Latency Barrier in Quantum Computing with NVIDIA

Dell has announced validated sub-four-microsecond average latency between Dell PowerEdge servers and FPGAs using the NVIDIA NVQLink platform.

Main announcement: Dell validated sub-four-microsecond average latency with the NVIDIA NVQLink platform using Dell PowerEdge servers (models: XE9680, XE7745, R7715, R770) as the real-time host (RTH), enabling real-time calibration, dynamic circuits, and quantum error correction. The validation included partner testing with Quantum Machines using an R7615 server connected to its OPX1000 PPU, demonstrating control across three QPUs and two architectures.
Additional details & timeline: The deployment integrates with NVIDIA CUDA-Q and RoCE-based connectivity; Dell plans to validate NVQLink across additional Dell offerings and run tests in co-located deployments “over the coming months”, and its servers can also run quantum emulation and machine learning workloads alongside real-time quantum control.

Mar 13, 2026

What's data center environmental impact? More fossil fuel pollution.

The Journal Sentinel asked readers about Wisconsin data centers and reports experts warning that rapid data center growth is slowing grid decarbonization.

Main announcement/action: The Journal Sentinel solicited reader questions about Wisconsin data centers (more than 300 responses) and published reporting that includes warnings from Andrew Chien, director of the Center for Unstoppable Computing at the University of Chicago, that the rapid boom of data centers is slowing decarbonization of the power grid. The story is reported by Caitlin Looby and dated March 13, 2026.
Background and details: The article notes proponents cite “billions of dollars” in investments into state and local economies and construction jobs; it references a reader question from Sheryl Slocum of West Allis asking about environmental impacts and links to related reporting and documents (including an MKE Region PDF and prior Journal Sentinel coverage).

Mar 13, 2026

Illinois to data centers: Bring your own renewables and skip the line

The Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers Act (POWER Act) has been introduced in Illinois to incentivize data centers to build or procure new clean energy by offering fast interconnection and guaranteed access to the amount of clean power they procure.

Main action: The bill would give data centers a fast-track grid connection if they submit a clean energy plan that procures 80% of predicted annual demand from new clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2045, and it guarantees uninterrupted access to the amount of clean energy they pay to build or acquire; it also allows utilities to curtail facilities that fail to meet clean-energy thresholds during high-demand periods.
Additional details and context: The bill requires data centers to pay for transmission and substation upgrades, contribute to a public benefits and affordability fund (amounts set by peak demand), funds a compensation fund for community groups intervening in regulatory proceedings, mandates quarterly water-use reports and community-benefit agreements, and is supported by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and groups like Vote Solar and the Union of Concerned Scientists; the Illinois legislative session ends in late May and the measure will undergo consensus-building.

Mar 12, 2026

Start With Outcomes: A Business-First Strategy for Digital Twins

Dell Technologies promotes a business-first strategy for digital twins in data centers and references Forrester’s Alvin Nguyen launching a new research series on digital twins for data centers.

Main announcement/action: Dell Technologies advocates a business-first digital twin methodology that starts with identifying clear business outcomes before selecting technology; Forrester’s Alvin Nguyen is launching a new research series on digital twins for data centers (as cited in the article).
Supporting facts and examples:McLaren Formula 1® Team used Dell AI Factory and digital twins to run thousands of simulations, cutting tests by 40%; Lowe’s uses Dell PowerEdge with NVIDIA accelerated compute to support operations across 1,700+ stores and ~300,000 associates; Mark III Systems used Dell Precision workstations with NVIDIA RTX GPUs to create virtual recreations of Texas Children’s Hospital labor rooms for remote design and collaboration.

Mar 11, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - March 10, 2026

EESI will host a briefing on energy efficiency with the Alliance to Save Energy on March 12 to highlight cost-effective measures for households and small businesses.

Main announcement: EESI and the Alliance to Save Energy will hold a briefing Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses on Thursday, March 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., in the Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online (RSVP link available). The event focuses on energy efficiency solutions for households and small businesses and invites expert panelists to discuss readily-available measures.
Background and other details: EESI published a Climate Jobs fact sheet citing >4 million climate jobs in 2024 and a 2.8% growth rate in clean energy jobs; it also promoted the 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO on June 24 (Rayburn Foyer and Gold Room, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., online option). The newsletter summarizes recent congressional activity on bills including S.2245 (Digital Coast Act extension), H.R.755 (Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025), H.R.390 (ACERO Act), and H.R.2600 (ASCEND Act), and notes hearings that focused on the electric grid and data centers.

Mar 10, 2026

VOICES: Protecting what we love in the age of AI

A bipartisan group of Michigan leaders introduced legislation to pause new data center construction until spring 2027.

Primary action: The bill would stop the construction of new data centers until spring 2027, and at least 27 Michigan cities and townships have already halted new data center approvals as local moratoria. The proposal has prompted similar legislative proposals in Wisconsin (including calls for a statewide pause building off local moratoria in Madison).
Background and related measures:Michigan Green Muslims and Wisconsin Green Muslims are working on community resilience projects (e.g., greening schoolyards and mosques to reduce runoff and cooling); Michigan lawmakers are also considering a package of bills to make water more affordable for ordinary residents. The University of Wisconsin-Madison program Preparing Religious Environmental Plans is visiting the Great Lakes this month to share disaster preparedness and greening practices.

Mar 9, 2026

AI Data Centers Create Local Jobs: What That Really Means for Our Communities

Oracle has announced that its AI data center expansion will create thousands of construction and operational jobs and that the company is investing in workforce development programs (blog post by Josh Pitcock, Mar 9, 2026).

Main announcement/action: Oracle says its AI data center campuses will generate substantial construction jobs (approximately 4,000 each at its New Mexico and Wisconsin campuses; more than 8,000 construction workers have supported the Abilene, Texas site to date; 2,500–3,000 construction jobs expected in Michigan; 5,000 in Shackelford, Texas) and expects to hire nearly 8,000 operational employees across Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, and Wisconsin once sites are operational. The Abilene site has been under construction since 2024 and is described as already operational.
Background and implementation details: Oracle is expanding workforce initiatives including the Data Center Oracle Pathways Trainee program, a partnership with Saint Martin’s University supporting a 12-week Server and Cloud Application: Data Center Technician program, and curriculum through Oracle Academy. The blog highlights specific roles (data center technicians, facilities engineers, security, logistics) and emphasizes support for veterans and military families through tailored classroom, lab, and coaching programs.

Mar 6, 2026

AI Infrastructure Brief: Power, Capital, and Silicon Collide in the Next Phase of the Data Center Buildout

Data Center Frontier summarizes multiple AI infrastructure announcements and projects scaling to gigawatts across North America.

Main announcement/action: The article reports an industry-wide acceleration of hyperscale AI data center development, including CoreWeave’s plan to add roughly 5 GW of capacity by 2030, xAI’s $659 million permit filing for Memphis “Colossus,” Nebius’s $150.6 billion Chapter 100 bond approval, and a $2.4 billion B&W/Base Electron design-build agreement to deliver 1.2 GW of natural-gas generation to supply Applied Digital AI campuses; it also cites La Caisse’s C$240 million commitment to Cologix’s MTL8 and Google’s $40 billion investment pipeline in Texas through 2027.
Context and additional details: The report documents wider trends: institutional capital flows (Blackstone exploring a public data-center vehicle; HighBrook targeting 300 MW), growth in dedicated/behind-the-meter generation (the “power island” trend), and rising political and community scrutiny (Birmingham 180-day moratorium, Oregon HB 4084 proposal, project withdrawals/controversies in Apex NC and West Louisville).

Mar 5, 2026

Hyperscalers Sign White House Pledge to Fund Data Center Power, Grid Upgrades

The White House convened seven major AI/hyperscaler companies on March 4 to sign the non‑regulatory Ratepayer Protection Pledge committing to fund new generation capacity and pay for required grid upgrades so costs are not passed to residential or commercial ratepayers.

Main announcement (signatories & commitments): The pledge was signed on March 4, 2026 by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI, committing to build, bring, or buy new generation resources and cover the cost of all power delivery infrastructure upgrades required for their data centers; companies also agree to pay for contracted power and infrastructure whether or not they ultimately consume the electricity. The White House framed the effort as a policy response to AI-driven load growth and stated companies will negotiate separate rate structures with utilities and state governments to isolate costs from existing ratepayers.
Background & implementation details: The article cites EPRI projections (U.S. data center demand ~177–192 TWh in 2024, rising to 9–17% of national demand by 2030, up to 793 TWh in a high scenario). It documents specific company actions and figures: Google >7,800 MW contracted in Texas and a $4.75 billion Intersect Power acquisition pending; Microsoft contracted 7.9 GW in MISO; Amazon-related deals cited ~$1 billion projected customer savings (Indiana) and a $300 million Entergy transformation (Mississippi); OpenAI’s Stargate aims for 10 GW U.S. AI compute by 2029 and committed $175 million for local infrastructure in Wisconsin. The notes also record that the pledge is non‑binding and the White House disclosure does not specify independent auditing, penalties, or a defined enforcement methodology.

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