LANSING, Mich. — Michigan next governor wants to hit pause on data centers. Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson is proposing a statewide moratorium on building new data centers until the state writes rules covering community input, natural resources and energy costs.
Under her plan, no new data center would go up until developers are required to bargain with communities in the open. Projects would need public hearings before moving ahead, giving neighbors a chance to raise concerns.
Developers would also face disclosure and reporting rules meant to stop deals between companies and local officials from being worked out out of public view.
Before construction, a developer would have to show the project will not misuse water, land or other natural resources. Data centers would cover the cost of the extra electricity they consume instead of shifting it onto households and other utility customers.
The plan would bar data centers from receiving tax breaks and calls for union contracts so the projects create well-paying jobs. Under her platform, any company that breaks those rules would be barred from doing business in the state.
The proposal lands as communities around the state wrestle with big data center plans and worries about power demand, water use and environmental effects. Benson, the current secretary of state and now governor-elect, takes office in January.
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