THU AM News: Power demand projected to jump 40% in six years amid data center boom; UW study details impacts of CO2 removal and emissions reduction

July 2, 2026

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— Wisconsin’s peak power demand is projected to jump 40% over the next six years, largely driven by the massive data centers being built in the state.

That’s according to a draft of the latest biennial Strategic Energy Assessment released last week by the state Public Service Commission. The report, based on data provided by the utilities, shows peak demand will hit 20 gigawatts by 2032 – up from 14.2 GW this year.

About 4.17 GW of that projected increase — making up 72% of the demand spike — is attributed to three hyperscale data center developments in Beaver Dam, Port Washington and Mount Pleasant, the last of which was recently brought online by tech giant Microsoft. They’re located within the service areas of Alliant Energy and WEC Energy Group.

“These load forecasts illustrate the outsized impact data center development is anticipated to have on the energy landscape in Wisconsin in the coming years,” authors wrote.

The latest estimate shows a marked increase from the last SEA report, which acknowledged the role of data centers in driving up energy demand but forecasted a more modest increase. Utilities in 2024 projected peak electric demand to decline by about 5% from 2023 to 2024, followed by a 14.8% increase in demand through 2030.

Meanwhile, utilities are also planning substantially more natural gas generation to keep up with projected demand compared to the previous projections. The latest SEA shows electric providers plan 5,400 megawatts of new natural gas capacity or upgrades to existing natural gas facilities by 2032 — more than double the 2,500 MW planned by 2030 in the previous report.

See the report.

See earlier SEA reports.

— New research out of UW-Madison suggests direct carbon dioxide emissions reduction is a more effective strategy than CO2 removal for reducing pollution and related health impacts.

The study, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, was led by postdoctoral fellow Candelara Bergero and involved Prof. Morgan Edwards of the university’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.

It focused on strategies for reaching net-zero emissions by the middle of the century, noting those that rely heavily on removing CO2 from the environment are linked to more severe pollution, lower air quality and higher rates of climate-related premature deaths, compared to those that prioritize reducing direct emissions.

The study found decreased reliance on CO2 removal would result in about 33,000 fewer premature deaths per year in 2050, relative to the approach that relies more on CO2 removal.

And while CO2 removal approaches such as direct air carbon capture and storage and similar processes that use biomass have become more popular in recent years, the path that relies less heavily on such approaches was found to produce “much larger health benefits” due to reducing emissions at their source.

Under the “business-as-usual” framework, the study projected about 203,000 annual air quality-related deaths. That fell to 159,000 for the CO2 removal-reliant approach, but was even lower at 127,000 for the low-CO2 removal strategy.

“As countries transition to net-zero emissions, it is important to understand that there are multiple pathways for achieving this goal, and each will have different implications for people,” Bergero said in a statement.

See the release.

— The head of the Madison-based nonprofit WiscNet is calling for changes to the federal E-Rate program that helps fund broadband connections for schools and libraries.

Brian Remer, the group’s CEO, spoke this week during a Wisconsin Technology Council luncheon in Madison focused on the state of broadband internet in the state.

The E-Rate program offers discounts for financial support ranging from 20-90% of the cost of eligible services and equipment, based on poverty levels and urban or rural designation. The FCC site notes program funding is based on demand, up to $3.9 billion per year, though that’s adjusted annually based on inflation.

Remer called for changing the program to allow for multiple connections in order to address reliability concerns, noting the importance of the federal funding source for the nonprofit’s members. He said it’s currently not allowed and considered redundant and a waste of taxpayer resources.

“But particularly in cases where we can document reliability problems, this is a known way to address that,” he said.

He also acknowledged the program is being questioned at the federal level, after the Federal Communications Commission last month announced a review of the program to “empower parents and better protect children” using networks funded in part by E-Rate, including by limiting screen time.

The FCC is seeking comments on how it could ensure the program “advances student learning outcomes and better protects the online safety of children when using ERate-funded networks and services, particularly given the number of hours per day children of all ages now spend online.”

Remer noted funding under the program is “vital” to at least half of WiscNet’s membership.

“Their rules become the rules that we live with,” he said.

Watch the video.

— More than 8,000 Medicaid recipients in the state may have had their private information leaked, the state Department of Health Services announced.

The agency said some Medicaid members getting benefits from Wisconsin’s Supplemental Security Income program had their “personal and private information” related to benefit increases sent to outdated addresses.

DHS on Tuesday sent notifications to 8,157 recipients whose information may have been exposed, after discovering the error on April 30 and stopping any future mailing to the outdated addresses.

Impacted members have been offered a year of free credit monitoring, and the agency is directing related questions to a dedicated call center.

See the release.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— The state chapter of the NAIOP is changing its name to CREDA Wisconsin as part of a rebranding effort across dozens of chapters of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

The old name stood for the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, though the full name was retired in 2009 while the organization retained the acronym, according to the association’s website.

Jim Villa, CEO of the group’s Wisconsin chapter, says member developers, builders, investors and other commercial real estate professionals “have always represented far more than an acronym” and play a key role in the state.

“As CREDA Wisconsin, our name matches our mission,” he said in a statement. “This is a clearer signal to policymakers, partners, and the next generation of CRE professionals about who we are and for whom we stand.”

See the release.

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