The EPA won't consider the economic costs of harms to human health, at least for now. Legal and health experts are concerned that the change could make it easier for the agency to roll back rules.
(Image credit: J. David Ake)
Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called on the Republican-controlled Legislature to act on a broad array of his priorities in his final year in office, even if it means working for longer than they are scheduled to be in session.
Republicans are unlikely to follow Evers’ call to action on many of the proposals he outlined in a letter, just a year after they rejected the same or similar ideas in his state budget. But Evers expressed optimism that bipartisan agreement is near on several issues, including protecting funding for SNAP, the country’s main food aid program, and combating water pollution caused by PFAS chemicals.
“We have a year left and it’s not all about me,” Evers, who opted against seeking a third term, told reporters on Monday. “All of the things that need to be addressed, many of them can be.”
Evers has served as the swing state’s governor since 2019, helping Democrat Joe Biden narrowly win the state on the way to becoming president in 2020. President Donald Trump carried Wisconsin in 2024 and in 2016, both times by less than 1 percentage point.
Evers’ term ends in a year, but he’s focused on setting up his party to take back the legislative majority for the first time since they lost it in 2010.
In 2024 Evers signed new district maps that helped Democrats chip into Republican majorities in the Assembly and Senate. Democrats are also counting on anger toward Trump helping them in the midterm.
The Legislature is scheduled to be done with its session by mid-March, giving lawmakers more time to campaign for the fall election. The Assembly is planning to quit in mid-February. But Evers said Monday that there’s still time to advance Democratic priorities.
“I think it’s bad politics to say we’re done in February, we’re done in March, and we’ll see you at the polls,” Evers said. “That doesn’t work. I don’t think it’s a good message. We have the opportunity to do some good things.”
Evers called for bipartisanship to tackle issues that have long been Democratic priorities, such as increasing public school funding, lowering health care costs and enacting gun control laws.
While many of his proposals are likely to be summarily rejected, Evers said Democrats and Republicans were close on reaching deals to release $125 million in funding to combat PFAS pollution. He also said both sides were close to an agreement that would put additional safeguards in place to ensure Wisconsin isn’t penalized by the federal government for errors in who gets SNAP food assistance.
Evers called on lawmakers to spend $1.3 billion more on public schools in an effort to reduce property taxes, a month after homeowners across the state received higher tax bills. Republicans blame Evers because of a veto he issued that allows schools to increase spending limits for 400 years. But that is only one part of the complicated school aid formula. Evers and school officials have said funding from the state has not kept pace with expenses, forcing schools to ask voters to approve referendums for an increase in property taxes to make up the difference.
If schools aren’t given more money, Evers said “we’re in a world of hurt” because property taxes will only continue to increase.
Republican legislative leaders, in interviews with The Associated Press last month, did not express support for increasing general school aid funding.
“We have to have a bigger conversation about how we’re going to fund schools long term than just saying we’re gonna put more money to the same formula doing the same thing,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.
Evers also urged the Legislature to make progress on his plan to close a 128-year-old prison in Green Bay as part of a larger overhaul of the correctional system. In October, the state building commission approved $15 million for planning. But once that is spent, absent further action, the work will stall, Evers said.
“We have to get this across the finish line,” he said.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup. This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.
Gov. Tony Evers urges Wisconsin Legislature to act on his key priorities in his final year is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
Anticipated spikes in demand for energy to supply Wisconsin’s data center building boom come on the heels of decades of declining power and water use, according to a new report.
A Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis shows there are more than 40 data centers operating in Wisconsin with another four planned. The sprawling facilities host computer servers, which store data and support a global surge in the use of artificial intelligence.
The data center building boom has been met by local opposition groups concerned about the facilities’ resource needs. But the Policy Forum report shows it’s all happening after years of declines in demand for electricity and water.
Using projections submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission by utility companies, the Policy Forum estimates the state’s peak electrical demand is expected to increase to around 17 gigawatts by 2030, driven largely by data centers. In 2024, Wisconsin’s peak demand was rated at 14.6 gigawatts. Over the past 20 years, total electricity sales have fallen by 9% over the past 20 years.
Wisconsin Policy Forum Senior Research Associate Tyler Byrnes told WPR a big part of the decline since 2005 is due to fewer commercial customers paired with more energy efficiency measures. He said during that span, utilities have pulled aging, coal-fired power plants offline and shifted toward more renewable energy.
“Into that landscape, now we’re seeing these really big data centers come online,” said Byrnes.
Some utilities in Wisconsin are expected to seek state permission to build new power plants or expand existing ones to meet the data center demand. Byrnes said that will bring a need for more transmission lines, though local impacts will vary depending on where the data centers are located.
The Policy Forum’s analysis shows most existing facilities are in south central and southeastern Wisconsin. With other large-scale data centers planned for more rural areas like Beaver Dam and DeForest, he said utility companies may need to build out more infrastructure.
Another major concern raised during the data center debate is the facilities’ hefty water demands.
Opponents have complained that developers haven’t been transparent about how much water they’ll need to cool computer servers. In September, environmental advocates sued the city of Racine to force the release of projected water needs of a $3.3 billion data center campus located at the former Foxconn site in Mount Pleasant. The city released figures showing the project will need more than 8 million gallons of water per year.
To put that into context, the Policy Forum looked at historical water sales reported by the Racine Water Works, which will supply the Mount Pleasant data center project. Between 1997 and 2022, the utility saw water sales decline by 2.1 billion gallons annually. Byrnes said that taken as a whole, the demand for water from data centers is “a drop in the bucket” in a lot of cases.
As with electrical demand, Byrnes said water demand has decreased due to fewer industrial customers and increased efficiency efforts. Because cities like Racine still need to maintain the same level of infrastructure, which is more expensive due to inflation, the revenue from each gallon of water sold has to be spread further. That means potential rate increases.
Byrnes said data centers have been turning to closed-loop cooling systems, which use less water, but cities like Racine would still be selling more water, which would help cover fixed infrastructure costs.
“Potentially, it could maybe blunt some of the (water rate) increases,” Byrnes said.
With the rise in data center developments in Wisconsin, local governments and state lawmakers are working to figure out how to regulate them.
The DeForest Village Board recently took no action on a citizen petition calling for referendum votes before any data center project could be approved.
In Menomonie, the city council voted to restrict where and how data centers can be built months after the mayor halted a $1.6 billion proposal. A similar zoning ordinance is being considered in the city of Jefferson.
At the same time, Republican and Democratic state lawmakers have proposed different ways to regulate data centers. One GOP bill is aimed at ensuring data centers and not other customers would pay for any required improvements to the state’s power grid. The Democratic bill is aimed at requiring data centers to get the bulk of their power from renewable sources.
This story was originally published by WPR.
Data center boom follows decades of declining electricity and water use in Wisconsin is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
The late outsider artist Mary Nohl of Fox Point turned her home into her canvas. Known as the "Witch's House," her work has been at the center of controversy for decades. Now, her story is taking center stage with the play with music, "Maybe We'll Fly."
The post New play explores controversy, ambition of outsider artist Mary Nohl of Fox Point appeared first on WPR.
One of Microsoft's top executives said he would support a new state law to regulate and set standards for data center developments across Wisconsin.
The post Microsoft president says he would support a Wisconsin law to regulate data centers appeared first on WPR.
The former president and CEO of an Oneida Nation group of small businesses has been ousted following fallout over one company’s contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The post Head of Oneida Nation’s business group replaced over ICE contracts appeared first on WPR.
Two proposed changes to the state constitution — one involving DEI, the other related to public health orders — could be heading to voters in November, after they passed out of the Wisconsin Assembly Tuesday.
The post Wisconsin Assembly advances constitutional amendments on DEI, public health orders appeared first on WPR.
Hours after Gov. Tony Evers unveiled his priorities for his final year in office, Republicans — who control the Legislature — effectively rejected one of his biggest asks.
The post Republicans trade blame with Evers for rising property taxes appeared first on WPR.
Madison officials want to stop large data centers from being built in the city — at least temporarily. A proposed ordinance would halt data center construction for up to year.
The post Should Madison hit pause on data centers? Residents to weigh in. appeared first on WPR.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Wisconsin-Madison on behalf of conservative students on campus.
The post Federal civil rights complaint against UW-Madison filed over scholarships appeared first on WPR.
For more than 80 years, high schoolers in Pulaski have been bringing local news to a community that would otherwise be a “news desert.”
The post High schoolers in a rural Wisconsin village have kept local news alive for generations appeared first on WPR.
The new Dietary Guidelines end the previous recommendation of up to two drinks per day for men and one drink for women, in favor of a much simpler message: "Consume less alcohol for better overall health."
The post Wisconsin health experts hope new federal guidelines will lead to less drinking appeared first on WPR.
The companies improperly accessed and monetized nearly 300,000 patient medical records from Epic users, according to Epic.
The post Epic, health care providers sue over alleged misuse of patient records appeared first on WPR.
The first School Transportation News webinar of 2026 started strong by sharing perspectives of two industry veterans on four hot trends in student transportation.
Unifying the Tech Ecosystem
Keba Baldwin, director of transportation and central garage for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) in Maryland and the STN Transportation Director of the Year, said that having a unified tech stack has helped him be proactive on safety rather than reactive. Building staff capacity to accept and use the technology has been a challenge, but once team members are on board, they also see the benefits, he added.
“Having disparate platforms can cause tension,” agreed Alfred Karam, who returned as interim director of transportation for Shenendehowa Central School District (CSD) in New York after retiring in July 2024.
Baldwin and Karam shared how data results in more accurate reports and improved driver performance.
“All these tools help us be more efficient and save time,” Karam noted.
When implementing multiple technology systems, he advised doing so slowly and ensuring each aspect is accompanied by thorough training.
Meanwhile, PGCPS’s bus tech stack was recently rolled out slowly across each of the 12 bus depots, Baldwin said. He is focused on making sure everything works as it should. Importantly, each department from transportation to classrooms to administration was involved in the process, in order to support it.
Overcoming the Labor Crisis
When lacking a centralized hiring department, as is the case for Shenendehowa CSD, Karam said he actively requested district help on getting the word out through emails and hosting “test drive a bus” events, so the spotlight is constantly on recruitment.
PGCPS does have a hiring department, which Baldwin said he works closely with. He also offers both paid training and bonuses.
Onboard school bus tablets make the job easier for new drivers but are not as readily accepted by older drivers that make up most of his workforce, Baldwin noted.
The average age of drivers at PGCPS is 50, and at Shenendehowa CSD it is 56. Technology acceptance and comfort level are important considerations, commented Craig Berndt, business segment manager of people transportation for webinar sponsor Geotab.
Karam stressed the importance of framing bus technology to supporting and improving driver skills rather than simply blaming drivers.
In response to an attendee question on how many drivers quit during their probationary period, both directors said that keeping a recruit throughout the training process likely ensures they will stay with the district for some time.
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Balancing ZEV Mandates and Budget
PGCPS had 20 electric buses and several mobile propane-powered chargers when Baldwin joined the district. The district has since canceled the planned on-site infrastructure due to cost concerns. Baldwin therefore advised ensuring local utilities can handle the electricity demand as well as training all staff in case of potential emergencies. He said the World Resources Institute’s Electric Bus Initiative has helpfully provided templates and information on funding.
“We do have areas where EVs can be beneficial and other areas where they won’t be beneficial,” he noted.
The 2035 electrification mandate is still in effect in New York, which meant Karam had to quickly familiarize himself with the related jargon, organizations and procedures. He shared often-overlooked aspects of the conversation such as changing bus purchasing processes. Buying the bus is the last piece of the puzzle, after planning and infrastructure is in place.
He additionally underscored that chargers must be maintained as much as the buses themselves. Also, securing additional charging capacity requires heavy construction and miles of wires brought in – it is not as easy as calling a supplier to bring over extra gallons of diesel fuel, he quipped.
Karam shared that Shenendehowa runs only four out of six electric buses due to utility electricity caps.
Harnessing the Power of AI
AI is more than just a conversation with ChatGPT, Berndt declared. He said Geotab is focused on utilizing it to save human time by gathering data and making predictions on the likelihood of collisions or bus failures, which a human can then make decisions on.
“Everything we do has an AI component,” Baldwin declared. “What we have to do is embrace it and break it down into areas where we can apply it.”
He added that AI helps develop driver scorecards visible to him and his drivers, who then know specifically what to improve on.
“AI is in our hands already,” Karam agreed. “Safety is going to shift from being incident-driven and reactive to being pattern-driven and predictive.”
He shared that he used AI to crunch numbers rather than spending hours working manually with data from routing software. He related how AI-driven tools discovered that some drivers falling asleep at the wheel had sleep apnea.
Rather than stealing jobs and replacing humans, Karam said he sees AI “as a game changer and force multiplier as it matures and is adopted within the transportation system.”
Berndt gave listeners tips to make sure the AI model they are training is secure, so sensitive information stays safe.
The post Student Transportation Veterans Discuss 2026 Hot Industry Trends appeared first on School Transportation News.
Back-from-break headlines cover winter weather conditions, rockstars and leadership at STN EXPO East, updates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what impact recent developments in Venezuela could have on the school bus industry.
Keynote speaker and best-selling author Jim Knight, who rubbed shoulders with musicians and celebrities during his tenure with Hard Rock International, discusses building a student transportation brand and improving workplace culture. He will present a keynote and Transportation Director training at STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina this March.
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The post (STN Podcast E289) 2026 Kicks Off: Winter Weather, the World Stage & Rock ‘n Roll Leadership appeared first on School Transportation News.
Driving R&D Excellence in Refining Low Carbon Products: Unlocking Brazil’s Untapped Biomass Potential The global refining and petrochemicals landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once a linear, fossil-centric value chain is rapidly shifting toward a diversified ecosystem built on low carbon products. This shift is no longer driven solely by compliance pressures—it is …
The post Unlocking Brazil’s Untapped Biomass Potential appeared first on Alternative Energy HQ.
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