Wisconsin Republicans pass data center bill requiring on-site renewables, but critics say it lacks environmental and labor protections.

The Wisconsin Assembly passed AB 840, a Republican-led bill regulating data centers, 53-44, sending it to the Senate. The bill requires on-site renewable energy for data centers and aims to protect ratepayers from rising utility costs, but critics say it lacks strong environmental safeguards, especially on water use, and fails to ensure quality jobs or meaningful oversight. Representative Darrin Madison and others opposed the fast-tracked legislation, calling it inadequate and harmful to consumers, while Republicans defended it as a necessary first step. The bill’s future depends on Senate review.