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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 840

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: certain requirements related to data centers.

Data processing Energy conservation Natural resources department of — Administration Public service commission Public utility Water supply

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

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.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Born (R) , Brooks (R) , Dallman (R) , Dittrich (R) , Duchow (R) , Green (R) , Gundrum (R) , Hurd (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Krug (R) , Maxey (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Nedweski (R) , Neylon (R) , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Petersen (R) , Snyder (R) , Sortwell (R) , Summerfield (R) , Tranel (R) , Wittke (R) , Zimmerman (R)

6 cosponsors

Feyen (R) , Jagler (R) , James (R) , Marklein (R) , Quinn (R) , Wimberger (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 44

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3

Passed 7–3 Jan 15, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 55, Noes 43

Passed 55–43 Jan 20, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 53–45 Jan 20, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 53

Nay · 45

Not voting · 1

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 56–42 Jan 20, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 56

Nay · 42

Not voting · 1

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 53–44 Jan 20, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 53

Nay · 44

Assembly: Refused to refer to committee on Energy and Utilities, Ayes 45, Noes 53

Failed 45–53 Jan 20, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Mar 13, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Jan 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Zimmerman, Born, Allen, Armstrong, Brooks, Dallman, Dittrich, Duchow, Green, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Krug, Kreibich, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Nedweski, Neylon, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman, Petersen, Snyder, Sortwell, Summerfield, Tranel, Wittke and Hurd; cosponsored by Senators Quinn, Feyen, Jagler, James, Marklein and Wimberger

  2. Jan 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules

  5. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3

  7. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  9. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  10. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 53, Noes 45

  11. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Stroud

  12. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  13. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  14. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 56, Noes 42

  15. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Stroud

  16. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 55, Noes 43

  17. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Zimmerman

  18. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  19. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 44, Paired 2

  22. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Jan 20, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  24. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  25. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Refused to refer to committee on Energy and Utilities, Ayes 45, Noes 53

  26. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 offered by Representative Phelps

  27. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 2)

  28. Jan 23, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism

  29. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  30. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  31. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  32. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  33. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Nass

  34. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1