Cass County hosts informational session on data centers

Cass County leaders and residents gathered for a public meeting in Cassopolis to hear from Dr. Sarah Mills, director of the Center for Empowering Communities at the University of Michigan, about the potential impacts of artificial intelligence data centers. Mills, an expert in energy policy and land use planning, provided an informational session for the Cass County Board of Commissioners and the Cass County Planning Commission, focusing on land use, infrastructure, and regulatory tools available to municipalities. The discussion highlighted the increased attention on data centers due to the demand for AI infrastructure, noting their significant needs for electricity and water, which can amount to millions of gallons of water and over one gigawatt of energy per day for large facilities. Mills explained that Michigan is an attractive location for data center projects due to state sales and tax exemptions, though she cautioned that the long-term job creation is often lower than initial construction jobs. She advised officials to evaluate their industrial zones, consider quality of life regulations, secure commitments in writing, and plan proactively. The session also touched upon a specific local development, as Hyperscale Data Inc., a Las Vegas-based company, has expressed interest in increasing the capacity of its Dowagiac data center from 30 megawatts to 340 megawatts. Dowagiac Mayor Patrick Bakeman, who attended the session with city officials, noted that the city has been doing its homework and recently approved language adding specific decibel level limits to city ordinances. However, the city has not yet received formal expansion plans from Hyperscale Data Inc. for review.