YCUA Board approves 12-month moratorium on providing water to data centers

The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on providing water and sewer services to hyperscale and mid-sized data centers, artificial intelligence computing facilities, and high-performance computational centers. This decision, made on Wednesday, creates a significant impediment for a data center planned by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory in Ypsilanti Township, which is projected to require 500,000 gallons of water daily. The moratorium aims to allow for comprehensive due diligence investigations into the potential impacts of data centers. Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo clarified that the moratorium is a general measure against all data center construction, not specifically targeting the University of Michigan's project. Despite the University of Michigan's constitutional exemption from local zoning laws, the YCUA's restriction on water services effectively bypasses this legal protection. The proposed data center has faced considerable opposition from local residents and some members of the U-M community, primarily due to its intended use in nuclear weapons development and concerns regarding its demands on the electrical grid and the environment. The University’s Office of Public Affairs declined to comment immediately on the development.