WEI: Wisconsin Environmental Initiative

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.

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/

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.

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

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

Opinion | Turnout shows residents want a say in data center decisions 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.

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

🌍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