Lansing City Council to discuss data center moratorium after Deep Green plan falls through
Lansing City Council is discussing a potential moratorium on data center development, following the withdrawal of a proposed downtown project by UK-based tech company Deep Green. Residents had raised concerns about the project's utility costs and environmental impacts. A public meeting on the proposed moratorium is scheduled for July 13.
The Lansing City Council is revisiting discussions about data centers, specifically considering a potential moratorium on future development, just over two months after a proposed downtown Lansing data center project collapsed.
In early April, UK-based tech firm Deep Green abandoned its plans to build a data center in the city. This decision came after residents voiced significant concerns regarding the project's potential impact on utility costs and the environment.
Tim Daman, president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, expressed strong disapproval of the initial project's failure, calling it a "100% missed opportunity." Daman also warned that even discussing a moratorium could deter future business investment in Lansing, emphasizing that data centers are critical infrastructure for the modern economy, supporting everything from AI to advanced manufacturing.
Despite these concerns, the Lansing City Council has voted to schedule a public meeting to discuss the proposed data center moratorium. The meeting is set for Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m.