Clinton Township, MI Imposes 180-Day Data Center Moratorium
Clinton Township trustees approved a 180-day moratorium on siting and constructing data centers, despite having no active proposals from developers. Officials said the pause will provide time to study zoning, infrastructure, noise, utility and environmental impacts and develop local rules.
Clinton Township’s Board of Trustees approved a 180-day moratorium on data center siting and construction as a preemptive measure. Supervisor Paul Gieleghem said the township wants time to evaluate zoning, infrastructure, noise, utility and environmental issues before a proposal arrives, while Trustee Dan Kress criticized the pause as largely symbolic and favored a five-year freeze.
Township Attorney Linda McGrail warned that a permanent ban could constitute exclusionary zoning and said courts have upheld moratoriums of about six months. The decision comes amid broader resistance to potential AI data centers elsewhere in Macomb County and concerns across Michigan about their effects on water supplies, electricity demand and nearby residents.