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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 843

Certain requirements related to data centers

Topics: Data processing, Energy conservation, Natural Resources, Department of: Administration, Public Service Commission, Public utility, Water supply

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 15, 2026

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 840. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

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.

Read the full summary

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.

Who's behind it

6 senators are its ⁠. All 6 are Republicans.

27 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 33 names

Authors (6)

Signed on in support (27)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Utilities vote on an amendment

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 13, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Utilities vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 13, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 13, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  3. Mar 13, 2026

    “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  4. Feb 17, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  5. Jan 15, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism.

  6. Jan 15, 2026

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 15, 2026 · Senate

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

  2. Jan 15, 2026 · Senate

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

  3. Feb 12, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Quinn

  4. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  7. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  8. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Senator Nass

  10. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary