With more than 45 data
centers in Wisconsin, and more
planned and announced in what feels
like every day, local
communities already grapple with
zoning issues and public pushback.
But now comes a state legislative
bill to regulate the centers built
by tech giants like Microsoft
and Metta to process
artificial intelligence data.
Democratic State Senator Jody
Habish-Sinnequin of Whitefish Bay
is author of the bill.
And Senator, thanks very much for
being here.
Thank you, I appreciate the
invitation.
Why does Wisconsin need a law
regulating these data centers?
Wisconsin currently has no laws
on the books that
provide any regulatory oversight
with regard to transparency,
accountability for water usage,
for energy rates,
for those community impacts
that people are very concerned
about. So this legislation
is intended to provide
that overarching.
Framework to fill that current
vacuum.
How much does the proliferation of
these centers feel like the Wild
Wild West?
A lot, very much so.
As I have been
hearing from my constituents and
others around the state, there is
this recognition that in the absence
of information,
there, it creates worry and
distrust and uncertainty about
the impacts, not just on themselves
and their families and communities.
But for our futures.
How does your bill protect utility
rate payers or consumers?
It's a great question, because we
really wanted to focus on that in
terms of the transparency and
accountability again.
Utility rates are already too high
in Wisconsin and with
winter coming on it's very much
front and center on people's minds
especially in these uncertain
economic times.
So what this bill does
is establishes a very
large customer class which
these big data and
data centers would fall into and
that class would be responsible
for the extremely high energy
production needs that they
call upon.
Not individuals or families.
How does it track water usage
and to what end?
A question that people have and a
very legitimate concern.
People are very curious about
how much water will be used,
particularly from the Great Lakes,
is what I hear a lot of.
And again, this bill is very
focused on accountability and
transparency, which is very much
part of Wisconsin's values.
And rather than allowing the water
use to be hidden with some of these
non-disclosure agreements with
utilities and the like, It
requires the disclosure of how
much water.
Will be used and in what fashion.
And the other thing your bill does
is require construction workers who
build the data centers certain
wages. Is it your sense that they
are currently underpaid?
It very much is trying to
guarantee, again, this bill
is not the end of the
conversation, it's starting the
conversation with this overarching
framework.
So when we talk about wages in our
workforce, it's
important that not just in community
by community, but statewide
that there are community
values being provided by
these data centers.
And certainly a high one of those
is family supporting jobs.
In the face of a state law
addressing data centers, how
important in your mind is local
control?
Local control is where it all
begins.
People don't always understand that,
so I'm really glad you asked about
that. The idea
of where these data centers will
be placed and how the
developments proceed happen at
the local level by local
city officials and governments.
For the state legislators
like myself, I feel
we need to show up at the
table from the state level to
provide some kind of uniformity
and a regulatory framework, again,
that helps hold these big data
centers and big tech.
Accountable to Wisconsin.
What kind of bipartisan support do
you have for this regulatory
bill?
Well, we were just introduced it
last week, but I'm again
glad that you asked this because
I am very much hoping
for bipartisan support
for this bill.
Myself, I'm a Democrat,
but my Republican colleagues are
hearing from the same constituents.
With the same concerns about
property value impacts,
water usage, as we've already
discussed, energy rates,
climate change concerns with regard
for hopes for renewable energy,
all of that.
But because.
Legislature is very much still
controlled by the Republican
in both the Senate, Republicans
in both the Senate and the Assembly.
We need them to
lean into this interest
in providing a regulatory
framework for our state because
they decide where the bill will be
assigned to what committee and
whether or not there will be a
hearing held.
And I really want to underscore
the importance of a hearing because
that's when the public comes in
and shares their thoughts,
their concerns, their asks,
and that's how bills across
the board become better.
That's the iterative process that
is so important here, but we
need Republicans to contribute to
it.
To that important next step.
All right, well, we leave it there.
Senator Havish Seneca, thank you so
much.
Oh, thank you very much.
Thank you, that was excellent,
really good.
Okay, thank you, Federica.
I appreciate that.
Is there anything that I didn't
get to that you would like me to
address?
The only thing, I had a
question that got left on
the floor just because we kind
of ran short of
time and that was I
wanted to ask you how you believe
data centers fit into Wisconsin's
economic landscape,
not to mention its environmental
landscape.
Yeah, I'd be glad to do, would
you like me to answer that now and
just clip it in?
This bill was developed
in what I understand is quite
a unique way, which was building
coalitions between groups who don't
necessarily always align
in their aspirations.
Environmental groups,
union groups.
Utilities and the like, and
it was a lot of cooks in the
kitchen trying to work out
a regulatory framework that
moved Wisconsin forward
economically, environmentally
and the like.
So what's really important about
this bill is that it provides
for opportunities and investment in
something that is greatly needed in
Wisconsin and actually across the
country, which is investment in
renewable energy for
wind, for...
For solar and for battery,
et cetera.
And that type of investment is
going to be incentivized under this
bill because the big data
centers, if they reach
70% of all
their electricity use
is contributed to by renewable
energy, that's how they get
that sales and use tax exemption.
So there's the carrot
that really allows for
that opportunity.
So Wisconsin will be better off.
Economically and environmentally
going forward.
Perfect.
Yeah. Appreciate. Yeah, thanks.
Sorry, it was a little bit, um,
spacing out with between
the solar.
I had a very dramatic pause
after that, but I was just thinking
wind, solar in
my mind. I didn't know if that ever
happens to you.
It, it, I was very dramatic.
Well, it's very clear
that you are a well-trained
orator and attorney, so thank
you.
Well, thank you.
Very high.
Praise from you.
But thank you.
How can I watch this in the future?
How mostly can my 90 year old father
watch this? This would be very
important to get that
to him.
I am.
That's correct.
Oh, thank you. And yeah, I watch
PBS. Just so you know, that's
how we I watch all the debates and
the all my election
coverage.
It's my it's my most
favorite vehicle.
So I know that I can find those
stations also, but that
that your specific instructions will
be helpful. But I am already
a fan of yours
in real life.
And outside of this experience.
Well, we will make that into
a promo, Senator, so thank you very
much.
Kidding.
No, I am very happy
to, yes.
I laugh at all these influencers who
are wearing various things.
I would probably wear on
the weekends a PBS T-shirt or
do anything to rep you, yes,
become an influencer.
Good news, we need it.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Have a good weekend, both of you,
and enjoy the pretty day.
You too.
Thank you, bye-bye.