Terms of Engagement for Data Centers

Our Communities, Our Terms 

Throughout the last year, Michiganders have watched as at least 15 data center projects have been proposed in communities across our state. And we demand transparency. Michiganders want to understand the impact this could have on our electricity rates, grid reliability, water sources, and jobs. Utilities companies like DTE and Consumer’s Energy, with a long history of hiking rates without improvements in reliability, are pushing to greenlight projects without any accountability. All while state and local government regulators are being steamrolled by corporations. The people deserve to know their rights when a data center comes into our communities. Abdul outlines the following rights for Michiganders as we navigate the inception of data centers here Michigan and across the country: 

• No rate hikes
  • Data centers must pay for their own energy demand — costs cannot be passed onto ratepayers.

• Community transparency
  • Communities must have a meaningful say in project approvals and community benefits packages.

• Energy reliability guarantees
  • Energy reliability cannot worsen because of data center projects. Projects must include enforceable commitments from utilities to improve energy reliability, funded by data center revenues.

• Jobs guarantee
  •  Data centers must create the local jobs they promise, or face penalties.
    
• Water protection
  • Data centers must commit to closed-loop cooling systems to avoid stressing or polluting local water resources.

• Community benefits agreements
  • Projects should include binding agreements that deliver real benefits, including local infrastructure investments, improvements to the electrical grid, burying power lines, and upgrading water treatment facilities and piping.
    
• No clean-energy loopholes
  • Utilities cannot use data center projects to weaken or sidestep clean energy laws.

• Enforceability
  • All agreements must be enforceable through actionable penalties.