Overview:

- Over 200 Lyon Township residents attend a Thursday meeting where experts warned about the risks of a planned 1.8-million-square-foot data center.
- Lansing City Council proposes dedicating 10% of Board of Water and Light revenue from data center utility use to housing support services.
- A Saginaw council member says she'd like to see data centers developed on post-industrial brownfields rather than agricultural greenfields.

💡 DTE agrees to power terms for Saline Township data center DTE Energy accepted conditions from the Michigan Public Service Commission for special contracts to power a massive OpenAI and Oracle data center in Saline Township. The 1.4-gigawatt facility would be Michigan’s largest, consuming more electricity than 1 million homes. Attorney General Dana Nessel and others requested a rehearing of the fast-tracked Dec. 18 regulatory approval. DTE reserved rights to challenge future commission decisions while confirming aggregate revenues will cover service costs. 📌 Source: MLive

💡 Experts sound alarm on data centers at Lyon Township forum Over 200 Lyon Township residents attended a Thursday meeting where experts warned about the risks of a planned 1.8-million-square-foot data center. Panelists at the event, organized by the group No Data Centers in Lyon Township, raised concerns about massive energy and water consumption, comparing the power needs to adding “a new New York City.” Experts warned data centers provide few permanent jobs and risk obsolescence, likening the AI boom to the dot-com bubble. The facility is a permitted use on industrial-zoned land. One panelist suggested legal action as a remedy for residents. 📌 Source: Hometownlife.com

💡 Big tech money stifles political action on data centers, advocates say Michigan data center opposition has united unlikely allies from Stop the Steal activists to Democratic Socialists, with only 28% of residents supporting new facilities. Despite bipartisan grassroots resistance, political action remains limited due to big tech’s influence. Concerns include rising energy bills, water depletion, pollution, and minimal job creation. While U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and others called for moratoriums, advocates say a lack of political courage and money dominate the political system. 📌 Source: The Guardian

💡 Lansing City Council proposes using data center revenue to fund housing support Lansing City Council proposed dedicating 10% of Board of Water and Light revenue from data center utility use to housing support services. The Fledge CEO Jerry Norris, a local community space operator, warned rising utility rates from data centers could worsen housing problems and make controversial projects harder to resist. The city is considering a data center proposal, with a final vote expected by late February. The plan models a program from a Virginia county with over a dozen data centers. 📌 Source: WKAR-TV

💡 Saline Township residents fight OpenAI, Oracle data center with site work underway Saline Township residents continue fighting a 2.2-million-square-foot OpenAI and Oracle data center despite preliminary construction being underway. Resident Kathryn Haushalter filed to intervene in a settled lawsuit challenging the township’s rezoning of 575 acres of farmland. Residents also appealed to the zoning board and reported construction violations including heavy trucks using dirt roads. Township attorney Fred Lucas said court intervention is the only potential roadblock for the project, while residents consider circulating ballot petitions despite legal obstacles. 📌 Source: MLive

💡 6-month moratorium gives Saginaw time to craft comprehensive data center rules Saginaw City Council unanimously approved a six-month moratorium prohibiting data centers while developing comprehensive regulations. Council Member Carly Rose Hammond said the proactive step ensures responsible development before receiving applications, avoiding potential litigation as in Saline Township. No data center applications have been submitted to Saginaw. Hammond expects stakeholder and community meetings to create policy addressing resource consumption and encouraging development on post-industrial brownfields rather than agricultural greenfields. Bay City recently passed a similar resolution for data center standards. 📌 Source: WNEM-TV

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Dustin Blitchok brings extensive editorial leadership experience, having served as an editor at Benzinga and Metro Times, and got his start in journalism at The Oakland Press. As a longtime Detroit resident and journalist, he has covered a wide range of public interest stories, including criminal justice and government accountability.