Garfield Township enacts data center moratorium to buy time for research on restrictions
Garfield Township has enacted a moratorium on new data center development, which will last up to 18 months. This pause allows the township to research the potential impact of data centers on local environment, water, and power resources. The measure passed unanimously, aiming to draft defensible regulations.
Garfield Township in Michigan has approved a moratorium on future data center development, granting itself up to 18 months to study the technology and its potential local impacts. The township board, chaired by Joe McManus, passed the measure on Tuesday, initiating a one-year pause with an automatic six-month extension.
The moratorium is intended to address resident concerns regarding how large data centers might affect the local environment, particularly water and power resources. McManus emphasized the need to determine optimal placement to minimize any adverse effects. He noted that the deliberate pace and legal wording of the moratorium are designed to make it defensible against potential court challenges, referencing other Michigan communities whose quickly enacted moratoriums were overturned.
No specific data center regulations have been drafted yet, with that work expected to commence at the next planning commission meeting. McManus credited planning staff, including Planning Director John Sych, for proactively identifying the issue. The measure received rare unanimous public support, with no opposition voiced against the moratorium.