Officials Push Pause as Data Center Questions Spread Across Washtenaw County

Local officials in Washtenaw County, Michigan, are pushing for a halt on new data center developments to gain a comprehensive understanding of their potential impacts. On March 18, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners formally supported local municipalities in enacting data center moratoriums, a move championed by Commissioner Jason Maciejewski, who emphasized the need for a "pause" to assess substantial consequences. Beth Gibbons, director of the Washtenaw County Resiliency Office, highlighted repeated concerns from residents and officials regarding transparency, energy demand, water use, noise, light pollution, ground disturbance, and long-term accountability, all of which are influencing decision-making across the county. These concerns manifest differently in various townships. In Saline Township, a developer sued after the township board denied a rezoning request in September 2025. The case concluded with an October 2025 consent judgment allowing the project under numerous conditions. Ongoing issues related to construction, traffic, and environmental monitoring led the Saline Township Planning Commission to direct the drafting of a six-month industrial zoning moratorium in February. Meanwhile, Ypsilanti Township is contending with a separate proposal for a "world-class supercomputing research center" linked to the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory. By late March, the Ypsilanti Township Board had formally adopted a resolution strongly opposing the project, deeming it incompatible with existing land uses and a "clear and present danger" to local infrastructure. In Augusta Township, trustees approved rezoning for a $1 billion data center, despite opposition over noise and industrialization, with proponents citing job creation and tax revenue. Commissioner Maciejewski underscored the urgency, stating that the "fast moving" nature of data center issues leaves a "lack of information."