Hundreds
attended the “Demystifying Data Centers” town hall Monday hosted by 48th District state Rep. Jennifer Conlin and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel at Cleary University in Howell. Outside protesters with “No Data Center!” signs gathered along Grand River Avenue, while inside residents and experts shared information and discussed concerns, one of which focused on a desire for full transparency.
Monday’s town hall came as the six-month data center moratorium adopted by Howell Township is nearing its expiration. The data center being proposed in Howell Township will encompass a thousand acres of farmland along Grand River Avenue. If it becomes reality, the data center’s $1 billion initial capital investment will immediately make it the county’s largest taxpayer, and it would also open the door for similar projects down the road. While proponents point to the financial benefits of the development, opponents cite concerns about rising electricity costs, the strain on the area’s water supply, as well as light and sound pollution.
The town hall brought together a panel of experts, and the event, according to Conlin, was not pro- or anti-data center; rather, it was meant to focus on facts regarding data centers. Spotted in the audience was state Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township.
Conlin talked about a recent study that found 57 percent of registered voters think the risks of AI outweigh the benefits of data centers, while 34 percent said the opposite. The majority of voters also thought that neither political side was doing a good job in policies related to the rapidly growing technology.
Discussed were types of ordinances that could be put in place for the data center. Codes can be put around noise, lighting, parking, construction timing, and decommissioning requirements.
“But to be fair, they can help, they can’t necessarily guarantee what outcomes might occur, as this is such a new industry,” Conlin said.
Some bills have been introduced in February, such as House Bill 5594 and 5596, known as the “Data Center Regulation Act.” The bills propose a moratorium on construction and approval of new data centers until April 1, 2027, allowing for more time to study environmental and energy impacts.
Nessel discussed the skepticism about the long-term stability of AI as an industry and any promises companies are making as a result of a data center being built. Nessel said companies are promising to generate tax revenue that can be used to support local schools or other public works.
“The bottom line is, we can’t just take these companies at their word,” Nessel said. “We have to do our homework.”
The biggest concerns focused on straining the electrical grid and not compromising, which is already a concern of the county. Conlin said there are government officials working hard to make sure utility rates would not be affected, but that current infrastructure is making this difficult to confirm.
Questions from attendees made it clear that people want full transparency, strong safeguards and clearer rules for contracts and from the companies and people involved. DTE has applied for special contracts, and there are still heavily redacted documents being viewed; Nessel said elected officials should have the chance to read the information and pass it along to the public.
Charlotte Jameson, chief policy officer for the Michigan Environmental Council, shared data and numbers regarding data centers and water usage. Jameson said large data centers need about 100 megawatts of electricity, which translates to the power use of about 80,000 homes, and this concern is a higher priority due to the number of data centers being proposed in Michigan.
Data centers use water for chip manufacturing, as well as for direct on-site usage to cool servers, which run 24/7. There are also issues like water contamination that haven’t been researched thoroughly, and e-waste that would be highly produced.
“But there’s no statewide or even necessarily local requirements around data centers, pursuing water conservation measures necessarily, or pursuing technology that’s a little bit less water,” Jameson said.
There were also new concerns expressed that data centers create a heat island effect on the land on which they sit, making it 5-15 percent hotter.
