The Anti-Data-Center Movement Is Reshaping Michigan Politics
Climate activist Will Lawrence is campaigning for Congress in Michigan's 7th district on an anti-data center platform, advocating for a development moratorium. Polling suggests this stance resonates with voters, reshaping local politics. The movement has seen some data center projects stalled by local opposition and lawsuits filed by townships against the state, despite the governor's support for new data center investments.
Will Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement and a climate activist, is running for Congress in Michigan's 7th district on a platform that includes a call for a moratorium on data center development. Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed Lawrence, who believes the backlash against data centers is a potent issue for his Democratic primary campaign in August.
Internal polling shared with WIRED shows significant support for an anti-data center candidate among likely Democratic primary voters in the district, particularly younger voters. Lawrence noted that voters organically approached him for advice on channeling their anti-data center sentiment, driven by a feeling of disrespect from companies and local officials.
The political movement is active across Michigan, with at least 11 data centers planned statewide. Local opposition in two townships in the 7th district has stalled at least two projects. However, data center developers have found workarounds elsewhere; for example, Oracle sued a township in the 6th district after a negative vote, leading the town to allow development to proceed rather than face a costly legal battle. Meanwhile, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer publicly supported an Oracle data center's opening, posing with OpenAI's Sam Altman and praising the $16 billion investment, a move criticized by some Democratic strategists and organizations like Voters Not Politicians as a political misstep.
The article also touches on Michigan's broader resistance to large-scale industrial projects, including renewable energy. While Lawrence supports community-owned renewables, he sees parallels in how Michiganders feel a lack of control over their community's future, leading to backlash against both data centers and large-scale wind and solar projects. Lawsuits have also been filed by dozens of townships against the state concerning a 2023 law allowing renewable energy developers to bypass local ordinances.