Wind and solar power are well-positioned to quickly respond to the increasing load data centers are putting on Wisconsin’s electrical grid, a renewable energy expert argues.

Wisconsin has become a hotbed of data center activity over the past few years, underscored by Microsoft’s more than $7 billion in investments in the southeastern region of the state. Increasing demand on the electrical grid is normal, but data centers are only adding to that demand. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory predicts data center electricity consumption will grow from 176 terawatt hours in 2023 to between 325 and 580 terawatt hours in 2028, which would represent 6.7% to 12.0% of annual U.S. electrical consumption.

David Neely, EDP Renewables’ senior director of development for the central region, told

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