Jennifer Wortz

Augusta Township in Michigan is developing a new ordinance targeting high-resource facilities like data centers. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced legislation to prohibit large AI data centers on federal lands, while Rep. Jennifer Wortz highlighted that eminent domain cannot be used by data centers to acquire private land. Attack ads against Rep. Steve Carra, a data center critic, are funded by groups linked to Consumers Energy, which may benefit from increased energy demand. The University of Michigan is advancing a pilot project on ethical AI and data centers.

Michigan lawmakers, local officials, and residents are advocating for a statewide moratorium on data center development due to concerns about water and energy usage, lack of transparency, and the impact on farmland. Tax breaks for data centers introduced in 2025 have spurred development but drawn opposition, prompting legislative proposals to pause projects for regulatory review.