Wisconsin regulators are projecting a sharp rise in electricity demand over the next several years, with statewide peak load expected to climb from 14.2 gigawatts in 2026 to 20 gigawatts by 2032, according to a draft Strategic Energy Assessment from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
The assessment says much of that growth is tied to hyperscale data center development in Beaver Dam, Port Washington and Mount Pleasant. Regulators said those projects account for about 4.17 gigawatts of additional projected demand, or roughly 72% of the expected increase through 2032.
The data center campuses are in the service territories of utilities including Alliant Energy and WEC Energy Group. The Mount Pleasant project was recently brought online by Microsoft.
As demand forecasts climb, utilities are planning significantly larger additions of natural gas generation capacity than in previous forecasts. Electric providers are projecting about 5,400 megawatts of new natural gas generation or upgrades to existing facilities by 2032, up from roughly 2,500 megawatts identified in the prior forecast period.
The assessment also points to expanded renewable and storage development during the forecast window. Planned solar additions rose to more than 5,100 megawatts, projected wind additions increased to about 1,370 megawatts, and utilities expect to deploy 2,250 megawatts of battery storage capacity.
At the same time, the report projects coal-generated electricity will decline sharply by 2032. Under current planning assumptions, natural gas generation is expected to make up half of Wisconsin’s energy mix.
The commission’s assessment also examined pathways toward net-zero carbon dioxide targets by 2050. In long-range modeling scenarios, nuclear generation capacity could take on a larger role beginning in the mid-2030s as future nuclear resources become available.
Under those scenarios, state energy planners projected nuclear generation could represent a significantly larger share of Wisconsin’s electricity portfolio in later decades.
Utilities also emphasized that large energy users, including data centers, are expected to bear the cost of infrastructure developed specifically to support their operations.
The projected rise in demand is expected to shape utility construction programs, generation investment and transmission planning across the state.
