Unhappy with $7bn collateral data centre bill in ‘America's Dairyland’, Oracle goes to court

Oracle has taken a Wisconsin electricity regulator to court over a massive $7 billion collateral requirement tied to its new artificial intelligence data center. The company warns the rule risks imposing “onerous financing costs” that could discourage future tech investments in the state. The dispute centres on the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, which set strict credit rules for local utility We Energies. According to a recent report by The Financial Times, the regulator declined to reconsider its policy, which aims to protect local households and businesses from absorbing the sky-high electricity costs needed to power massive AI facilities. The nearly one-gigawatt facility in Port Washington is a pivotal project for Oracle, built to help fulfill its $300 billion computing contract with OpenAI. However, Wisconsin's power regulations are adding unexpected financial strain to Oracle's aggressive AI expansion.Strict credit rules trigger $100 million annual costUnder the “very large customer” tariff approved for Milwaukee-based We Energies, any developer building a data center must post collateral in cash or a letter of credit if its S&P credit rating falls below A-minus. The collateral amount reflects the cost of power plants and transmission lines built specifically to supply the data center.As Oracle was rated BBB, which is two notches below the required threshold, it fell under the rule. Securing a $7 billion letter of credit is estimated to cost Oracle more than $100 million annually. Oracle filed a petition asking a county judge to overturn the rule and allow We Energies to waive the requirement. However, state regulators confirmed recently that they refused to modify the policy, insisting that existing utility customers must not subsidize large data centers.“Tariffs should be designed such that existing Wisconsin customers do not subsidize data centers, now or in the future,” the Wisconsin Public Service Commission was quoted as saying.Wall Street credit concerns and rising regulatory pushbackOracle’s challenge comes as financial rating agencies express growing caution over the company’s heavy AI spending and mounting debt. S&P recently downgraded Oracle’s credit rating further to BBB-minus, which is just one notch above junk status, citing uncertainty around its long-term path to profitability.According to report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), Wisconsin was home to 43 data centres as of July 2025.Wisconsin is not the only US state in tightening rules on major tech firms. Across the United States, 24 states have approved “large load tariffs” to ensure that tech companies pay minimum contract terms, exit fees, and collateral so local utility ratepayers are not left holding the bill for massive infrastructure projects.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.