LANSING, Mich. — A new coalition of nonpartisan organizations and businesses launched Thursday to provide fact-based information about data centers to local cities and townships across Michigan.
WATCH BELOW: New coalition aims to help Michigan cities navigate data center concerns
The group is made up of business associations, labor unions, engineers, economic researchers, and local government advocates. Leaders say they are analyzing neighbor concerns, such as energy demand and water usage, to help communities and decision-makers.
I brought that information to my neighborhood of Mason to see how neighbors feel about the economic development story every neighborhood is following.
"Trust is ultimately the hardest thing here," Shawn Sodman said.
Like many others, Sodman is plugged into local data center developments. On an issue where just about everyone has a side, his is down the middle.
"There’s got to be a compromise, but not having a data center at all, is not a compromise," Sodman said.
"A lot of information that is out there is either dated information or it’s coming from states that have different processes, protections, on what happens in their state," Jim Holcomb, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said.
"To ensure they’re not overusing water and not using it wastefully," Jeff Jaros said.
Advocates say if done right, Michigan can be a leader in this space. However, one of the concerns neighbors have raised is energy prices.
"I don't know why someone would want to say please don't let my community grow," Holcomb said.
As of Thursday, both DTE and Consumers say they have tariffs in place to protect and drop rates for residents.
"There are provisions within that tariff that have been approved by the Michigan public service commission, that require large load customers, like data centers, to pay for the supply and distribution necessary to serve them," DTE and Consumers said.
Sodman thinks researching and having a plan in place is the right way to approach an issue that has divided so many neighbors.
"I hope that this will take the pressure off communities that are split and are at each other's throats," Sodman said.
For more information from the coalition, visit here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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