WEI: Wisconsin Environmental Initiative

05/28/2026

Excited to join Green Homeowners United, State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde, Revitalize Milwaukee, Forward Together Wisconsin, Elevate and other partners at the Capitol to highlight new Wisconsin research on energy affordability, home efficiency, and data centers.

The findings are striking:
• Upgrading 38,000+ homes could offset the energy demand of a 200MW data center while creating 1,000+ union jobs
• Basement insulation can save homeowners up to $550 annually
• Heat pump water heaters significantly reduce costs

Practical solutions exist. Wisconsin can lower bills, strengthen communities, and create good-paying local jobs at the same time.
Read the report: https://www.greenhomewi.com/shields-up-energy-savings-guide
Congratulations to all the partners involved in this important work.

05/14/2026

Wisconsin at a Crossroads on Energy, Growth, and Community Engagement https://mailchi.mp/0fb713d8520e/wei-e-update-wisconsins-energy-future-rural-voices-data-centers-affordability-wisconsins-clean-economy-13332326
From rural data center debates and clean energy solutions to business leadership and community partnerships, Wisconsin is helping shape conversations with national implications. Across the state, people are asking important questions about affordability, accountability, and opportunity while working toward practical solutions that strengthen communities and protect the future.
Highlights include:
- Rural communities asking important questions about large-scale data center growth
- Earth Day conversations on practical clean energy solutions with national leaders
- Business leaders stepping up on accountability, democracy, and economic stability
- Support for clean energy projects that strengthen local economies
- Arbor Day celebrations investing in future generations
- New collaboration and science helping protect Wisconsin’s lakes
Wisconsin has an opportunity to lead with practical solutions that support communities, protect ratepayers, and build a stronger future.
Read more: https://mailchi.mp/0fb713d8520e/wei-e-update-wisconsins-energy-future-rural-voices-data-centers-affordability-wisconsins-clean-economy-13332326

04/29/2026

WEI Co-Founder & Director John Imes spoke at a public forum on data centers in Grant County on Earth Day. Here's his latest WisOpinion column:

NEW: Rural Wisconsin is emerging as a frontline in the national data center debate. https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/john-imes-rural-wisconsin-is-asking-the-right-questions-about-data-centers/

Two proposed projects alone are requesting nearly 4 gigawatts of electricity, more than all Wisconsin household demand combined. The implications for electric rates, water use, and long-term grid planning are significant.

In rural Grant County, people are asking practical questions:
Will this raise our bills?
Will it affect our water?
Will we have a voice in decisions that shape our communities?
These are reasonable questions, and they deserve clear answers.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has taken an important first step by signaling that large users should cover the full cost of the infrastructure they require. However, key decisions still lie ahead.

What happens next in Wisconsin could shape how states across the country manage large-scale energy demand.
This is not just a technology issue. It is about ratepayers, land use, infrastructure, and the long-term future of our communities.

Wisconsin has an opportunity to get this right.
Read the WisOpinion column: https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/john-imes-rural-wisconsin-is-asking-the-right-questions-about-data-centers/

Large-scale data center development is moving quickly into rural Wisconsin, and the scale is unlike anything the state has seen.

04/24/2026

WEI Cofounder & Director John Imes spent today with the 5th graders from Shorewood Hills Elementary School celebrating Arbor Day — planting trees, learning together, and investing in the future of our community.

A big thank you to Village Forester Patrick Finnegan and their dedicated staff for their ongoing work to maintain Shorewood Hills’ recognition as a Tree City USA community. Their commitment to a native, diverse, and resilient urban forest is something we can all take pride in.

This year marks the 24th anniversary of the partnership with Madison Gas and Electric and Shorewood Hills Elementary for this annual Arbor Day tradition — a great example of what long-term collaboration can achieve.

Appreciation as well to Hooper Corporation for their support and for giving students a hands-on look at the equipment and work behind the scenes. -- Planting trees today, growing a stronger community for tomorrow. Shorewood Hills Elementary School PTO Village of Shorewood Hills Arbor Day Foundation Shorewood Hills Residents

04/22/2026

At a moment when state-level leadership matters more than ever, it was valuable to join the Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin in a conversation with former Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State, who is a climate champion, a cofounder of the U.S. Climate Alliance and Evergreen Climate Innovations, and someone who has continued to champion climate progress after his time in office.

The takeaway was straightforward: states like Wisconsin don’t have to choose between economic growth and clean energy. The most effective path forward is built on win-win solutions that lower costs, strengthen local economies, and meet rising energy demand.

Those approaches are already taking shape here. The next step is scaling them in ways that protect ratepayers, support communities, and keep Wisconsin competitive. Happy Earth Day!

Power Wisconsin Forward Forward Together Wisconsin Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition WisBiz Green Walnut Way Downtown Madison, Inc. Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Greater Milwaukee Foundation Wisconsin Conservation Voters WisPolitics of State Affairs WisBusiness.com WEI: Wisconsin Environmental Initiative Climate Action Campaign American Sustainable Business Network ClimateVoice 100state Bloomberg Philanthropies

03/19/2026

What happens when 400 people show up to talk about data centers in rural Wisconsin? https://captimes.com/opinion/guest-columns/opinion-turnout-shows-residents-want-a-say-in-data-center-decisions/article_4b295c09-38d3-45e7-94a7-eaf33f5eb5c8.html

You learn something important. People are not anti-technology.

They are frustrated by rising electricity bills and want to know that the cost of powering massive AI infrastructure will not fall on families and small businesses.

Across the U.S., data centers are driving huge new electricity demand.

In Wisconsin, proposed projects are requesting nearly four gigawatts of power - more than all Wisconsin households currently use.

That demand will shape our energy future.

Communities are not anti-development. They are asking for responsible planning and clear information before major decisions are finalized.

Wisconsin has a chance to get this right.

The Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin’s Data Center Accountability Framework outlines practical principles to ensure growth benefits communities while protecting ratepayers.

When residents are invited into the conversation early, they show up ready to engage constructively.

The turnout in Juneau shows something encouraging:

people want to help shape the future - not just react to it.

My latest column in The Cap Times: https://captimes.com/opinion/guest-columns/opinion-turnout-shows-residents-want-a-say-in-data-center-decisions/article_4b295c09-38d3-45e7-94a7-eaf33f5eb5c8.html

American Sustainable Business Network Power Wisconsin Forward Beaver Dam Education on Data Center Group Walnut Way WisBiz Green

John Imes: Over 400 people packed a town hall session in Juneau to discuss the expansion of AI data centers and the infrastructure required to power them.

03/12/2026

Tuesday night something unusual happened in rural Wisconsin.

An estimated 400 people packed a community town hall in Juneau to talk about something most communities rarely discuss until it’s too late: the rapid expansion of AI data centers and the infrastructure needed to power them.

The conversation featured comedian and journalist Charlie Berens alongside energy experts, local residents, and community leaders.

What stood out most was not opposition to development.

It was something much simpler.

People want information, transparency, and a voice before major infrastructure decisions reshape their communities.

Across the U.S., AI-driven data centers are dramatically increasing electricity demand. Those decisions ripple far beyond local zoning boards. They shape:

• utility investments
• power plant decisions
• water systems
• farmland use
• long-term electricity costs for ratepayers

What happens in communities like Beaver Dam does not stay there. It affects energy planning across entire states.

The turnout Tuesday night shows something important:

People care deeply about their communities and want to engage constructively when given the chance.

Healthy growth requires more than permits and construction schedules.

It requires conversation.

Wisconsin is becoming an important testing ground for how communities navigate the intersection of AI infrastructure, energy demand, and local voice.

And conversations like this are only just beginning.

Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin Power Wisconsin Forward Walnut Way American Sustainable Business Network Beaver Dam Education on Data Center Group

02/26/2026

🌍Greenspire Apartments: Wisconsin’s First 100% Net Zero Tax Credit Development

Greenspire Apartments in Stoughton is a 92-unit, Green Built Gold–certified community providing affordable housing for extremely low-income seniors and people with disabilities. The project features 743 kW of solar, all-electric heat pump systems, ERV ventilation, triple-pane windows, and high-performance insulation, along with permaculture elements such as bioswales, rain gardens, and food forests.

Developed by Sunny Side Development and supported by a $5.52M Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) award funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and administered by HUD, Greenspire is now pursuing Zero Energy Certification through the International Living Future Institute. Watch the documentary video here: https://video.wixstatic.com/video/97bc54_fa4c6b8d46714c55a94169f6ce7715ca/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin American Sustainable Business Network WisBiz Green Downtown MadisonWisconsin Conservation Voters Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change RENEW Wisconsin

02/24/2026

Clean Growth in a Purple State Starts Here
https://mailchi.mp/3b9f6308be63/wei-e-update-wisconsins-energy-future-is-being-decided-right-now-data-centers-net-zero-housing-and-what-comes-next
Wisconsin continues to prove that a Purple State can drive real Green Momentum when policy, business leadership, and local communities move in alignment.
Right now, major decisions around AI driven data centers, electricity demand, and housing innovation are unfolding in real time. The question is not whether growth is coming, but whether we shape it around clean energy, affordability, and long term resilience. Our latest WEI E-Update outlines practical pathways forward, grounded in collaboration across sectors and a common sense clean economy approach that works beyond traditional political lines.
https://mailchi.mp/3b9f6308be63/wei-e-update-wisconsins-energy-future-is-being-decided-right-now-data-centers-net-zero-housing-and-what-comes-next

02/16/2026

🌍Federal Climate Rollback Raises New Risks for Wisconsin’s Energy Future https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/02/16/federal-climate-rollback-raises-new-risks-for-wisconsins-energy-future/

What happens when federal climate guardrails weaken just as energy demand accelerates? Our latest Wisconsin Examiner guest column examines how recent policy shifts could reshape Wisconsin’s clean energy momentum — from community solar and farm innovation to data center expansion and decisions now facing state regulators. The piece highlights why local leadership, practical solutions and responsible planning will play an increasingly important role in determining Wisconsin’s energy future.

Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin American Sustainable Business Network Power Wisconsin Forward Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition StartingBlock Madison 100state Downtown Madison, Inc. Greater Milwaukee Foundation Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Wisconsin Conservation Voters WisPolitics of State Affairs WisBusiness.com Climate Action Campaign Trellis Group ClimateVoice Bloomberg Philanthropies WEI: Wisconsin Environmental Initiative WisBiz Green Forward Together Wisconsin SolarShare WI Cooperative Public Service Commission of Wisconsin