Commissioners consider a temporary pause on data center as locals plan rally against it

Discussions are ongoing in Kalkaska County, Michigan, regarding a proposed data center, as local community members advocate for additional time to assess its potential impacts. Kalkaska County Commissioners have motioned for the planning commission to deliberate on a possible moratorium, which would temporarily halt any data center development. The planning commission is tasked with reviewing the proposal, including its timeline and specific language, before providing a recommendation. Residents have voiced concerns over the data center's potential environmental effects and the anticipated rise in utility costs. Rachel Overmire, a Kalkaska resident, emphasized the goal of implementing a pause to establish necessary protections against any incoming company. Amid these discussions, an anti-data center rally has been scheduled to take place on Saturday in Traverse City at Open Space Park, starting at 10 a.m., demonstrating active community opposition.