Meridian Township Board considers creating data center and battery storage facility moratorium

The Meridian Township Board is deliberating on the implementation of a moratorium on data center and battery storage facility developments, with a meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 7, to consider the measure. This proactive discussion follows an April 7 meeting where board members questioned the suitability of Meridian Township's land for such developments. Tim Schmitt, the community planning and development director, clarified that there are no current data center projects proposed for Meridian Township and no indications of developer interest. He noted the township lacks the large industrial land plots typically required for hyper-scale data centers, suggesting any potential project would be much smaller, akin to the canceled Deep Green facility in Lansing. Schmitt also emphasized that a moratorium requires a specific plan and duration, not just a general desire to halt development. Board supervisor Scott Hendrickson initiated the discussion, citing concerns about property acquisition for data centers observed in other Michigan communities like Lansing, Mason, Saline, and Howell Township. He argued that a moratorium would prevent developers from purchasing existing properties to create larger data center sites, allowing the township to "establish some very serious guardrails." However, Trustee Peter Trezise and other board members expressed reservations about enacting a moratorium without an active or proposed development, suggesting it might be "putting the cart before the horse." Trezise indicated a preference for establishing protective guidelines first.