Proposed Lansing data center scrapped hours before council meeting

Deep Green, a United Kingdom-based technology company, has withdrawn its proposal for a $120 million, 25,000-square-foot data center in downtown Lansing, Michigan. The withdrawal occurred just hours before the Lansing City Council was scheduled to vote on rezoning a parcel of land to accommodate the facility. The proposed 24-megawatt data center had drawn significant criticism from environmental activists, including students from Michigan State University's Sunrise MSU group, who argued it would generate unnecessary carbon emissions. While Deep Green had stated the facility would provide carbon-neutral heat for the Lansing Board of Water and Light's hot water system in exchange for power, opponents actively participated in city council meetings and public forums to voice their concerns. Deep Green CEO Mark Lee confirmed the company's continued commitment to responsible development in Michigan, despite the project's cancellation, emphasizing their mission to build data centers that reuse waste heat for community benefit. Henry Jerred, a coordinator with Sunrise MSU, expressed hope that this outcome would inspire other communities to resist similar "big tech" developments. The Lansing City Council President Peter Spadafore confirmed on Facebook that the proposal "will not move forward."