LANSING — State Rep. Jennifer Wortz has introduced a data center moratorium that would temporarily halt construction of new data centers across Michigan.
House Bills 5594 through 5596 would prohibit new data centers from receiving state or local permits or beginning operations until April 1, 2027. Wortz, a Republican from Quincy, said the pause would allow local communities time to evaluate the potential impact of large-scale projects before development moves forward.
Wortz said rural areas are facing proposals for multiple large infrastructure projects and that data centers raise additional concerns related to land use, power demand and water consumption. She noted that hyperscale data centers require significant acreage and utility capacity.
Wortz referenced a recent court ruling involving Saline Township, where residents were not allowed to intervene in a proposed 250-acre data center project. She said the facility is expected to use up to 1,400 megawatts of electricity, an amount she compared to the power needs of roughly 1 million homes.
The legislation would create a new Data Center Regulation Act. The bills have been referred to the Michigan House Committee on Government Operations for consideration.