Wisconsin is quickly becoming a hotspot for investment in AI infrastructure and data center development. These facilities require significant amounts of energy, and We Energies is stepping up to build the power needed to support this growth — while making sure our other customers are protected.

We’ve developed a comprehensive customer protection plan designed to ensure that data centers pay their own way and that our residential, business and industrial customers do not subsidize their energy needs.

Protecting customers as data centers grow

As new data centers look to locate and expand in Wisconsin, we are focused on one priority above all: fairness for customers. Our plan is built around four key commitments.

  • Fairness: Data centers will cover all costs for their service, including any new power generation facilities and infrastructure needed to reliably serve them.
  • Reliability: Data centers will be responsible for dedicated power generation to meet their needs, so the reliability our other customers expect is not jeopardized.
  • Tandem approach: Our proposed Very Large Customer rate and Dedicated Resource rate are linked, and data centers will be required to subscribe to Dedicated Resources as a condition of service.
  • Public transparency: Our proposed rates have been filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW), where customer groups are part of the review process and all customers can share feedback. The PSCW may approve, deny or modify our proposal.

In practice, this means that as data centers connect to our system, the new infrastructure built for them — from power generation to wires — is not paid for by other customers.

How the new rates work

Large-scale data centers have unique energy needs, including high, often around-the-clock usage and significant capacity requirements. To address this, We Energies has proposed two linked rate options tailored specifically to these customers.

  • Very Large Customer rate: Designed for energy-intensive customers such as data centers, this proposed rate reflects the true cost of serving them.
  • Dedicated Resource rate: Under this proposal, data centers must subscribe to dedicated generation resources as a condition of service, ensuring the power they use is backed by capacity built for them.

Together, these rates help align costs with those who cause them, ensuring that growth from data centers is supported in a way that keeps our system fair and reliable for everyone.

Investing in new energy to keep Wisconsin growing

Meeting the needs of data centers does not change our responsibility to every home and business that depends on us. To support both new and existing customer growth, We Energies is investing in a balanced mix of renewable energy and natural gas facilities.

  • Renewable energy: New renewable facilities will send clean energy to the grid every day, supporting Wisconsin’s economic growth.
  • Natural gas generation: New natural gas plants will be run when needed — primarily during periods of peak demand — to ensure no customers are left in the dark.

This mix allows us to support rapid expansion in AI and data center activity while maintaining the reliability and affordability our customers expect.

As Wisconsin attracts new investment in AI and data centers, We Energies is committed to powering that growth in a way that protects our customers, maintains reliability and supports the state’s long-term economic future.