Legal action
Demanding Data Center Transparency in Beaver Dam
CASE STATUS: Legal Victory!
MEA took legal action after the Public Service Commission denied our public records request seeking information about projected energy demand for Meta’s Beaver Dam data center. The PSC claimed the information was a trade secret and that withholding it served the public interest. A Dane County circuit court disagreed, finding that the agency had acted unlawfully and ordering that the information be released.
Case Summary
On December 9, Midwest Environmental Advocates filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court to compel the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) to release records showing projected energy demand for Meta’s new data center in Beaver Dam.
MEA filed the lawsuit after the PSC denied a records request seeking unredacted documents related to electrical load projections for two high-profile data center projects—one in Beaver Dam (owned by Meta and served by Alliant Energy) and another in Port Washington (owned by Vantage/Open AI/Oracle and served by We Energies).
In its October 1 request, MEA identified two documents containing redacted electrical load information and requested unredacted versions. On November 17, the PSC released the unredacted Port Washington record, which showed We Energies had requested interconnection for a 1,300-MW facility. The PSC denied the request for the unredacted Beaver Dam record, claiming it contained trade secrets and that keeping the information secret serves the public interest.
On August 17, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Ehlke issued an oral ruling in favor of MEA. He found that the PSC had acted unlawfully and ordered that the information be released.
MEA is proud to have fought for the public’s right to know, and we’ll keep fighting to make sure Wisconsinites have the information they need to understand what data center development means for their communities.
Michael Greif
Attorney & MEA Legal Fellow
resources
LEGAL ACTION
Enforcing the Public Records Law
When a natural resources official refused to step down after his term expired, MEA took legal action to compel full disclosure of communications related to his decision to hold over. As a result, we learned the full extent of his coordination with politicians and lobbyists. Shortly after he stepped down, a judge found that he had arbitrarily delayed and denied access to public records.
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LEGAL ACTION
Ensuring Public Access to PFAS Pollution Records
The failure of Dane County and the Madison Water Utility to produce records related to PFAS contamination was a violation of Wisconsin’s Public Records Law. MEA attorneys filed two lawsuits in circuit court to successfully compel disclosure of the documents.
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latest news
Data Center Updates
Legal victory! Judge orders release of information about energy use at Meta’s Beaver Dam data center
This week, a Dane County Circuit Court sided with MEA in a dispute over the public’s right to know how the unprecedented energy needs of hyperscale data centers will impact Wisconsin. The court ruled that the Public Service Commission acted unlawfully when it denied a public records request seeking information about energy use at Meta’s Beaver Dam data center and ordered that the information be released.
DNR reversed course on a massive data center after pushback from developers. MEA is fighting for answers.
A new lawsuit filed by MEA on behalf of the Sierra Club shows the extent to which tech companies and data center developers may be influencing decisions that impact Wisconsin’s environment.
Port Washington Data Center Developers Seek to Shift Financial Risks to Residents
When the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved new protections for Wisconsin ratepayers in April, it sent a clear message that ordinary Wisconsinites should not be responsible for the financial risks created by data center deals negotiated behind closed doors by utility companies and the world’s biggest tech companies. Now, some of those companies are asking regulators to backtrack.
Energy Regulators Take Steps to Ensure Data Centers Pay Their Own Way
On April 24, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved We Energies’ proposed rate structure for data centers, but only after making important changes to protect existing ratepayers.
MEA Calls for Full Environmental Review of Port Washington Data Center
At Wisconsin DNR hearing today, residents, advocates, and public health experts raised serious concerns about the air pollution impacts of a new data center campus in Port Washington. MEA is actively engaged in that process to ensure the DNR fully evaluates the environmental impacts before issuing air quality permits for the massive facility.
MEA Recognized for Open Government Work
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council will honor MEA and other awardees at a free public event in Madison on March 19. MEA is being recognized for promoting transparency and access to public records related to data center development in Wisconsin.