summary
Introduced
01/09/2026
01/09/2026
In Committee
01/23/2026
01/23/2026
Crossed Over
01/20/2026
01/20/2026
Passed
Dead
03/23/2026
03/23/2026
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill establishes the following requirements related to data centers: 1. The Public Service Commission must ensure in its rate-making orders that no costs associated with the construction or extension of electric infrastructure that primarily serves a data center are allocated to or recovered from any other customer. Under current law, a public utility generally may not make a change to its rate schedules that constitutes an increase in rates, except by order of PSC after an investigation and opportunity for hearing. 2. Any renewable energy facility that primarily serves the load of a data center must be located at the site of the data center. 3. Water used by a data center for cooling purposes must be contained in a closed-loop cooling system, which is a system for removing heat from equipment and that relies on a fixed volume of water that is continually recycled. 4. The operator of a data center must annually report to the Department of Natural Resources the total amount of water used by the data center for the 12- month period prior to submitting the report. 5. A person may not operate a data center unless they file with DNR a bond or other security in an amount sufficient to cover the estimated cost of fulfilling any required reclamation. 6. If construction of a proposed data center is not completed, the owner must notify DNR and commence restoring the parcel to the condition that existed prior to any construction on the data center.
AI Summary
This bill establishes several requirements for data centers, which are facilities primarily used for storing, managing, and processing digital data. Firstly, the Public Service Commission (PSC) must ensure that any costs associated with building or extending electric infrastructure specifically for a data center are not passed on to other customers. Secondly, any renewable energy facility, which generates electricity from sources like solar or wind, that primarily powers a data center must be located at the data center's site. Thirdly, data centers must use closed-loop cooling systems, meaning they recycle a fixed amount of water continuously to remove heat from equipment, rather than using and potentially depleting fresh water sources. Operators of data centers will also be required to annually report their total water usage for cooling to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Furthermore, to ensure environmental responsibility, data center operators must provide a bond or other financial security to the DNR, sufficient to cover the estimated cost of restoring the land if the data center project is abandoned. If construction of a proposed data center is not completed, the owner must notify the DNR and begin restoring the site to its original condition as much as possible.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry, Government Affairs
Sponsors (35)
Scott Allen (R)*,
David Armstrong (R)*,
Mark Born (R)*,
Robert Brooks (R)*,
Alex Dallman (R)*,
Barbara Dittrich (R)*,
Cindi Duchow (R)*,
Chanz Green (R)*,
Rick Gundrum (R)*,
Karen Hurd (R)*,
Brent Jacobson (R)*,
Dan Knodl (R)*,
Rob Kreibich (R)*,
Scott Krug (R)*,
Dave Maxey (R)*,
Paul Melotik (R)*,
Dave Murphy (R)*,
Amanda Nedweski (R)*,
Adam Neylon (R)*,
Todd Novak (R)*,
Jerry O'Connor (R)*,
William Penterman (R)*,
Kevin Petersen (R)*,
Pat Snyder (R)*,
Shae Sortwell (R)*,
Rob Summerfield (R)*,
Travis Tranel (R)*,
Robert Wittke (R)*,
Shannon Zimmerman (R)*,
Dan Feyen (R),
John Jagler (R),
Jesse James (R),
Howard Marklein (R),
Romaine Quinn (R),
Eric Wimberger (R),
Last Action
Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 (on 03/23/2026)
Official Document
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