Contact: Nora Naughton, nora.naughton@sierraclub.org, 248-345-1456
Lansing – Michigan Senate Democrats introduced today a package of bills drafted to establish comprehensive regulations on large-scale data center development in Michigan, offering critical protections to our water, land, and air, as well as for ratepayers already burdened by astronomical utility bills.
The package includes water-focused bills, energy-focused bills, a labor protection bill, and a prohibition on non disclosure agreements for public employees and officers.
“Today we take a huge step toward ensuring Michigan families are not left paying the costs of unchecked data center development. Our position has been clear: Michigan should not continue approving large-scale data center projects without critical safeguards for ratepayers, water resources, and local communities," said Tim Minotas, Legislative & Political Director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. "While this package does not address every concern, it marks meaningful progress toward the statewide protections we have been calling for.”
We have said that transparency is a key element missing in the data center development process in Michigan. An established permitting process for individuals who use more than 550,000 establishes much-needed transparency and oversight on water use, while prohibitions on nondisclosure agreements would limit shady back-door dealing.
Michiganders are already paying some of the highest utility rates in the country, creating a serious affordability crisis that may only be worsened by data center development. Sierra Club has always said that ratepayer protections are a necessary element of any data center regulation package. The bills introduced today address this concern by shifting costs to large-load customers and requiring energy use disclosures by the Michigan Public Service Position.
"The introduction of this package is a direct result of tireless organizing work that has been happening across the state. While we're encouraged to see real policy proposals, this is just the beginning." said Marta Johnson, Legislative and Political Organizer for the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. "Now is the time for us all to bring our organizing work to the next level to secure local protections and accelerate state policy wins."
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