Why clean energy opponents in Michigan are backing a climate activist for Congress
Michigan congressional candidate William Lawrence is campaigning against data centers and other large-scale infrastructure projects, building an unusual alliance with activist Marjorie Steele and other opponents. The Lansing-area backlash includes opposition to the proposed Deep Green data center and concerns about water, electricity, noise, farmland loss and limited community control.
William Lawrence, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Michigan’s 7th District and a former co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, is campaigning against data center development while seeking support from voters skeptical of large-scale solar, batteries and transmission lines. He has joined local opposition efforts, including a Mason City Council meeting, and is calling for a national pause on data center construction.
The Lansing area has seen broad opposition to new facilities, including the collapse of the Deep Green proposal and resistance to a $16 billion Oracle-OpenAI campus near Ann Arbor. Activist Marjorie Steele’s Economic Development Responsibility Alliance endorsed Lawrence after he adopted concerns about water and power use, noise, farmland loss and community input. Lawrence’s approach has drawn support across partisan lines, though experts and clean-energy advocates warn that opposition to large infrastructure could make it harder to replace fossil fuels with renewable power.