A new report, “Winning the AI Race,” says Wisconsin manufacturers have reported at least $1.6 billion in related orders and backlog and are supplying AI-related projects across the country, an indication that economic benefits extend well beyond the large data center campuses that accommodate AI.
The report, issued Tuesday by the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, said even with the controversy surrounding large, hyperscale data centers, Wisconsin is already part of the AI buildout.
Of a $46 billion announced pipeline, at least $36 billion is operating, under construction, or committed, but the larger opportunity extends beyond the campuses.
Researchers Junjie Guo and Ananth Seshadri cautioned that power needs, which is one of the controversial features of the AI build-out, is the “binding constraint.”
They said the state Public Service Commission projects Wisconsin peak demand rising from 14.2 gigawatts in 2026 to more than 20 gigawatts by 2032, with three large data centers accounting for roughly 72% of the increase.
“Wisconsin will need new generation and transmission,” the report said. “The customers driving that demand should bear the resulting costs.”
The full report is available on the CROWE website.
