Wortz spearheads bipartisan effort to halt data center construction in Michigan

State Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy) on Friday unveiled a set of policies to put a moratorium on building data centers, making good on a promise she made earlier this year alongside former Republican House Speaker Tom Leonard in his campaign for governor.

Introduced in conjunction with Reps. Joseph Fox (R-Fremont) and Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City), Wortz said the three-bill Data Center Regulation Act would give local communities the ability to assess any potential ramifications from data center projects before moving forward. 

“Data centers come with a lot of unique questions. Between the land being cleared for development, the demand for energy they will add to the grid, and the tremendous water usage, these projects could cost communities more than they are worth,” Wortz said. “I grew up on a farm, I own a farm, I’m a conservationist, and I understand the importance of proper land management. We can’t continue to allow our farmground and natural resources to be mindlessly destroyed.” 

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Under the proposed policy, new data centers would be barred from receiving state or local permits or commencing operations until April 1, 2027.

Wortz stressed that the moratorium is temporary. While some communities may decide that data centers are right for them, they need more time to assess the challenges before signing off on a plan to build a resource-intensive, hyperscale data center in their community, Wortz said.

The package includes House Bills 5594, 5595 and 5596. The bills were referred to the House Government Operations Committee.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has touted the 1.4 Gigawatt data center planned for Saline Township as an economic boon for the state, stands opposed to any efforts to block data center development.

“Any legislation that prevents us from growing the economy and creating jobs is an automatic non-starter and would be vetoed,” Whitmer spokesperson Stacey LaRouche told Michigan Advance in a previous statement.