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Alliant Energy Contract for the Data Center in Beaver Dam
- Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action
- Feb 2
- 5 min read
What’s Happening?
Unfortunately, we don’t really know. Alliant Energy has been hiding all the details about this project from the public and consumer protection nonprofits. On October 1, lawyers from the Midwest Environmental Advocates officially requested un-redacted documents about the electrical load information for the project, requesting a basic level of transparency. The Public Service Commission (PSC) denied the request, claiming the amount of electrical demand was a trade secret and that keeping the information secret serves the public interest. At this time, the following information about this contract has remained hidden:
How much, or the percent, of infrastructure and fuel will be paid for by hardworking Wisconsinites (see: redacted document)
The term length of the contract. In other utility proposals in Wisconsin, the contracts were too short, leaving customers on the hook to pay 100% of infrastructure bills for decades.
The amount of electricity the data center would use
Even the name of the developer is hidden from the public in the PSC record. Although we know the developer is META since they have already started construction of a data center in Beaver Dam, and announced it on their website.
What can we ask for in this case? Docket: 6680-TE-115
TRANSPARENCY: Contract terms that heavily impact the utility bills of families and businesses should not be hidden from the public. It is the Public Service Commission’s mission to protect the public, and the public deserves the right to weigh in. Without transparency, we cannot ensure that Alliant Energy, Meta, and future hyperscale data centers in this service territory will be held accountable.
Even though the details of the contract have been hidden, it’s important to ask for the following protections that should be included:
Make data centers pay for 100% of their costs (transmission, fuel, infrastructure, etc.)
Protection for communities from all costs for the full lifetime of any infrastructure built. That means the contract needs to last 30 years or more and have fines to account for costs if the data center pulls out of the contract early.
Prioritization of new clean energy and battery storage.
A community benefits agreement or an energy impact fund.
Why is this a health issue?
Research shows that energy burden, or the amount of their income people pay for their utilities, impacted premature mortality, self-reported health, and life expectancy, more than healthcare access and several other factors (Reames et al., 2021). High energy burden is associated with asthma, respiratory issues, and increased mental health impacts (Wells et al, 2015, Brown et al, 2020).
Writing a Comment or Testifying
Comments do not have to be long to be impactful, as the PSC and parties in the case also look at bulk numbers of those who are 'for,' 'against,' or supportive of key changes. It is best to keep comments shorter and under 3 minutes.
Suggested Comment Format:
Introduction: State your name, a sentence about who you are, and why you care or are speaking up. Example: My name is Sarah Jensem, and I am a nurse and mother of two amazing little girls in Mount Horeb. I am here today for their future and the patients who come into our clinic every day.
Share Your Concerns: Explain how your community or family would be harmed by subsidizing data centers. If you have a leadership role in your community of any type, share how those you serve or care for would be impacted. If you are comfortable doing so, you can then share feedback you have about this case and what you'd like to see.
Name Their Responsibility and What's Needed: Stress that the PSC should protect people, not big tech profits. Share that stronger safeguards have been put in place in other states and that Wisconsin regulators have a responsibility to secure stronger protections here and now.
Final Ask: Ask the PSC to reject the proposal and propose a stronger rate that has guardrails to protect the public.
When making a written comment, consider including your credentials in your name: Listing your health credentials or degrees after your last name (example: Sarah Jensen, DNP) can add a sense of expertise or credibility to the information you are sharing in the eyes of the PSC, especially if it's relevant to the type of concern(s) you are sharing.
Example Testimony or Comment
This is a longer example. Shorter comments are great, too!
I am deeply concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding this contract. The recent denial by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to disclose vital details about this project raises alarm bells. The public deserves to know how much electricity the proposed data center will consume, how much of the infrastructure and fuel costs will impact the utility bills of hardworking Wisconsinites, the length of the contract, and the identity of the developer. This information fundamentally affects our communities.
The potential health and financial implications of this contract cannot be overstated. Research indicates that energy burden significantly impacts premature mortality, self-reported health, and life expectancy more than access to healthcare (Reames et al., 2021). High energy burdens are associated with increased rates of asthma, respiratory issues, and mental health challenges (Wells et al., 2015; Brown et al., 2020). As a nurse, I am seeing family after family already struggle to pay for their medicines, rent, and utility bills. The fate of those families is on the line in cases like this. It is the PSC’s job to ensure that people don’t have to foot the bill for other utility customers, so the highest level of protections are needed in this case.
In addition to high energy bills, if Wisconsin utilities use the anticipated high energy demands from data centers as justification for building costly fossil fuel infrastructure, the consequences would be dire. Increased air and water pollution would jeopardize the health of our most vulnerable populations, exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular issues and contributing to climate change.
The PSC must prioritize the health and well-being of all Wisconsinites by advocating for necessary transparency and protections in utility contracts. All contract details impacting family and business utility bills must be accessible to the public to ensure accountability from Alliant Energy. The burden of costs should fall solely (100%) on the data centers, and contracts should have a long-term duration to prevent communities from shouldering stranded assets or unnecessary financial responsibilities. Thank you.
Key Deadlines and What You Can Do
You can submit public comments or speak at the public hearing this case.
Tell others! Talk to your neighbors, host an event, and/or post on social media! You can also express concerns to local and state leaders.
The docket is open for public comment through Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Attend the public hearing on February 24th via Zoom (virtual option only.
We recommend RSVP’ing! Life gets busy, so we’ll send you a reminder, Zoom and phone information, and talking points beforehand:
Additional protections are needed to protect our environment and Wisconsinites, especially comprehensive statewide legislation.
If you are a health professional or health advocate, we also encourage you to join us for our Climate and Health Advocacy Day at the Capitol because data centers are one of our core topics this year.
