Weekly Data Center Watch: Ypsilanti City Moratorium Sharpens Local Control Debate
Ypsilanti City Council preliminarily approved a 60-day moratorium on new data center permits to study potential impacts and consider regulations. Concurrently, the University of Michigan is holding town halls regarding its proposed research computing center in neighboring Ypsilanti Township, which faces community opposition. Data center development and local control have also emerged as a significant topic in Michigan's gubernatorial race.
Ypsilanti City Council granted preliminary approval to a 60-day emergency moratorium on new data center zoning permits. This temporary pause aims to allow city staff to study the potential impacts of large data centers and draft permanent regulations, with a second reading required for final approval. The moratorium specifically applies to Ypsilanti City and does not affect the University of Michigan's proposed research computing center in nearby Ypsilanti Township.
The University of Michigan, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, is scheduled to host two community town halls in September and October regarding its planned $1.2 billion high-performance research computing center in Ypsilanti Township. The project, slated for a site near Bridge and Textile roads, has encountered significant opposition from township officials and residents concerned about its water and electricity demands, environmental impacts, public safety, local control, and potential research links to nuclear weapons. University officials, however, describe it as a research center distinct from commercial data centers, promising a closed-loop cooling system and natural area preservation.
The debate over data center construction and local control has also entered Michigan's gubernatorial race. Both Republican nominee John James and Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson have advocated for a moratorium on new data centers until comprehensive safeguards for water, pollution, electricity rates, and farmland are established. This political stance reflects broad public resistance to data centers in residential areas, as evidenced by a recent Gallup survey indicating strong opposition among Midwesterners.