New Developments
- A proposed data center in Mason seems to be moving forward, WILX’s Sarah Poulos reports, with Mason City Manager Deb Stuart sharing information on the next steps in its development at a city council meeting on June 1.
- After a vote was postponed three times, members of the Allen Park Planning Commission voted to deny a proposed site plan for a 26-megawatt data center, WXYZ’s Darren Cunningham reported on Thursday.
Updates
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Open AI CEO Sam Altman and executives from Related Digital, Blackstone, Oracle and Walbridge in Saline Township for a ground breaking ceremony on the $16 billion data center under development in the community, Colin Jackson of Michigan Public reported.
- While Whitmer faced criticism for backing the Saline Township project, the governor doubled down on her support for data centers, the Detroit Free Press’s Arpan Lobo shared. Speaking to reporters after touring a local business in Grand Rapids where she signed a Pride month proclamation, Whitmer said Michigan should welcome companies who can follow environmental and energy standards, and that the state has the tools to hold developers accountable.
- Google is providing the Huron River Watershed Council with $250,000 as part of its plan to help manage water resources in communities where it is building and operating data centers, MLive’s Sam Jane wrote. The company is working to develop a 1.5 million square foot data center in Van Buren Township in Wayne County.
Legislative Action
- State Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) introduced three bills to place a one-year moratorium on data center development within the state, mirroring a bipartisan package put forth in the House earlier this years.
- While taking questions after an event last Thursday, Whitmer told WZZM’s Joshua Alburtus she would not sign off on any legislation creating a data center moratorium, but she would support policies to ensure the facilities are good stewards of the state’s natural resources, are not taking energy off the grid and that guarantee Michigan residents don’t face additional costs from a data center coming online.
News of Note
- Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a map to track and report data developments, Clara Lincolnhol of WKAR Public Media reports.
- “Can sewage halt the avalanche of data centers coming into Michigan?” Bridge Michigan’s Paula Gardner asks, examining wastewater capacity concerns after the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority instituted a one-year moratorium on service for data centers.
