Brian Schwartz

Some data center regulation proposals circulating in the Wisconsin legislature include ensuring ratepayers are not responsible for any stranded costs for transmission modifications, recycling of cooling water, reporting water usage and using a percentage of renewables for their primary power source. https://lnkd.in/g3SenbPD

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OPPD recently launched a Transmission and Substation Contract Alliance to help manage the growing demand for infrastructure across eastern Nebraska. #OPPDShares https://ow.ly/Gsz330sTYJV

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What if Des Moines County could fund school improvements, modernize infrastructure, and generate millions in new tax revenue — without raising local taxes? That’s the potential of wind energy when it’s guided by smart policy and local leadership. I’m proud to share our new report: “Wind Energy in Des Moines County: Facts, Myths, and Opportunities” This report: Debunks the most common myths about wind energy Presents hard data from successful Iowa counties like Adair, Franklin, and Howard Explores how wind projects are supporting local budgets, roads, and rural economies Offers a balanced, evidence-based framework for updating county ordinances Whether you're a farmer evaluating a lease, a policymaker drafting local code, or a resident wanting trustworthy information — this report was made for you. With over 60% of Iowa’s electricity now coming from wind, Des Moines County has a choice: fall behind or lead forward. #WindEnergy #IowaLeadership #CleanEnergyDistricts #DesMoinesCounty #Sustainability #RuralProsperity #WindWorks #EnergyPolicy #LocalEconomy

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NERC's Category 2 IBR Registration FAQ is now available. It offers clarity on definitions, timelines, and expectations for IBR registration and future compliance. Midwest Reliability Organization

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Ken Notes: Wisconsin is very attractive to data centers because we are on the energy super highway between Western renewable production and Eastern demand. There are hidden "costs" as new lines are built like the 345 kV Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line and upcoming 765 kV lines to transfer the load. This means we: lose prime ag and rec land, pay some of the cost, will see massive solar arrays and other renewable projects, will see an influx of new power intensive businesses, and profits will will shift to stakeholders in other part of the country like Microsoft and Meta. Our rates should go down and we should see more jobs, revenues and tax dollars for the state but so far that has not happened.

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"Wisconsin agricultural land has been developed over the years as the state loses more family farms, and the data center boom will only contribute to that ongoing trend, according to Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union. Many Wisconsin farmers are finding ways to stay on their land with new revenue streams, like solar arrays." https://lnkd.in/gB9yynJr

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Helix Electric is bringing its mission-critical electrical expertise to Iowa with a major data center project in Cedar Rapids, creating 400 new skilled jobs. 💬 Casey Long, COO of Helix Electric Inc.: “We are thrilled to bring our expertise in data center construction to Iowa. This new project is a testament to our commitment to expanding our mission-critical construction group and contributing to the region's economic growth.” ⭐️ Project Impact: ‣ Multi-billion-dollar project expected to span two years or more ‣ Positions Cedar Rapids as a growing digital infrastructure hub in the Midwest ‣ Builds on Helix’s 40-year legacy of complex projects, including work at a 1.1M SF Air Force Base in Nebraska 💬 Maria Anderson, Director of Talent: “Our team members are empowered with opportunities for continuous learning and advancement, making Helix not just a job, but a rewarding career path in the electrical contracting industry.” This expansion reflects Iowa’s rise as a Midwest leader in data center investment and digital infrastructure, following recent billion-dollar commitments from major tech companies. 🔗 Learn more about Helix Electric: [https://lnkd.in/gHaQvxnZ] #HelixElectric #ElectricalConstruction #DataCenters #Iowa #CedarRapids #MissionCritical #WorkforceDevelopment

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A qualified electrical contractor should be able to estimate labor hours up front. If they can't—or won’t—that’s a red flag. Transparency early on leads to fewer problems down the line. Learn what to ask and what to avoid when reviewing project proposals. Download our How to Choose Your Electrical Contractor eBook to sharpen your evaluation process: https://hubs.ly/Q03nZZrR0 #IBEW #weareNECA #PoweringChicago

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Project Update 🚧 Edged have broken ground of its newest data center in Ankeny, Des Moines. Expected to be complete in 24 months. Designed for 13.2mw of capacity across 105,000 sq ft and will support rack densities of up to 70kW with air cooling and 200kW with liquid cooling. #datacenter #edged #desmoines #construction

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MISO announced it will reassign multimillion-dollar substation work in Wisconsin to American Transmission Co. in order to meet a sped-up construction timeline for data center load. Writer: Amanda Durish Cook See Full Story: https://ow.ly/r9Bt50YwNWQ

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🚨 Minnesota’s data center boom is racing ahead without the rules needed to protect our water, power grid, and communities. Read more from CURE and our allies explaining why MN lawmakers must slow down and put safeguards in place before it’s too late. #MNLeg #DataCenters #PeopleNotPolluters Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy • Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light • Center for Biological Diversity • Friends of the Mississippi River • Vote Solar • WaterLegacy • Clean Water Action • Stop the Hermantown Data Center • Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development

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After you have been in any industry for a while you start to hear things repeated. Here are a couple more things I hear often when navigating Distribution as it relates to utilities. “That doesn’t conform to the National Electric Code.” This is common when discussing what a utility is going to do with customer electricians. When working with Medium Voltage and sometimes Low Voltage, Utilities are not required to abide by the National Electric Code (NEC) although sometimes they do choose to. Utilities follow the National Electric Safety Code (NESC). This includes conduit routing. Summing the conduit bends to less than 360 degrees isn’t a requirement and doesn’t guarantee the path will work. Summing the bends to more than 360 degrees doesn’t mean it will fail either.  There are tools available to calculate the forces exerted on a cable during installation and confirm they are within tolerances. An experienced Engineer will have a good idea if a proposed path works or not based on prior experience but the software should be used for confirmation and proper record keeping. It also comes up when discussing utility owned secondary vs customer owned secondary. This could be cable size and number of sets terminated on a transformer secondary bushing or connections in a handhole in an Underground Residential Development (URD) for instance. Utilities can diversify load which results in smaller cables or a reduction in the sets of cables required to terminate on transformer secondary bushings. “Can’t you just move/work on the other utilities equipment while the trench is open?” The answer to this should always default to "no" from a utility perspective and doesn’t only apply to underground infrastructure. The liability alone isn’t worth it. The utility work force isn’t trained to work on all forms of infrastructure. There are cases where utilities hire civil construction companies that have experience in other areas but performing that work isn’t worth the risk while employed by the utility. While installing Electric UG infrastructure, moving a water main, relocating a telephone duct bank, or fixing a leaking catch basin shouldn’t get done by the utility, in my opinion. During Overhead storm restoration it was common for Police/Fire and other officials to ask utility personnel to fix/remove/relocate communications infrastructure. “While you’re there can you just…” It is another companies’ property. In these cases, it can violate union contracts and unfairly effect rate payers. Some municipalities in the northeast have purchased their street lights from the utility as a way to “save” money. They were told it would be more cost effective for them to own and operate. It wasn’t uncommon for the municipality to pressure the utility to replace lights during a large weather event, after a vehicle hits a pole, or during a miles long DOT project. They are now considered a 3rd party on the poles just like Cable, Phone, and Fiber.

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Experts are expecting an increase in water and energy use by data centers — and they are watching the growth of data centers in Iowa closely. “When we are thinking about adding new locations or expansions [in Iowa], we have to think about the long-term impact of those data centers on the energy and water systems, because … the negative impact has been observed in other places,” said Lu Liu , Iowa State University assistant professor in water resources engineering. See the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gDMWZbQ3

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New data centers are strengthening Wisconsin’s electric grid by investing in modern infrastructure. These upgrades improve reliability—and the bill isn’t coming to you.

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Google signs power deal with NextEnergy to restart Iowa's 615MW Duane Arnold #nuclear plant for AI #DataCenters. Expected to start delivering power by 2029 - DCD

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Wisconsin lawmakers propose new rate class for data centers Also would require data centers to utilize closed-loop water systems Summary: Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced a bill that would effectively “ring-fence” the electricity and water impacts of large data centres, signalling a tighter social-license-to-operate stance as AI-driven load growth accelerates. What’s in the proposal (in plain terms): A new utility rate treatment for data centres so that grid upgrade and supply costs tied to their incremental demand aren’t shifted onto households and small businesses (via oversight by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission). On-site renewables requirement for any “renewable energy used to power data centres,” which would constrain the common approach of contracting off-site renewables/RECs and instead push toward local build. Water guardrails: mandate closed-loop cooling water systems, annual water-use reporting, and a bond/security to cover reclamation/restore-the-site obligations if projects are abandoned or halted. Why this matters beyond Wisconsin: it fits a growing US pattern where states are redesigning tariffs and commercial terms to avoid stranded infrastructure risk and ratepayer cross-subsidies from large, volatile data centre loads (e.g., Virginia’s GS-5 class and minimum-payment/commitment mechanisms). #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #GridPlanning #UtilityRegulation #RateDesign #EnergyTransition #WaterStewardship #CoolingSystems #Sustainability #InfrastructurePolicy

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