LENAWEE CO. — Artificial intelligence and cloud computing are driving new data center proposals in rural Michigan, where lower land costs are attracting developers.
But the projects are also raising concerns about land use, electricity demand, water use and possible long-term effects on local communities.
According to the Public News Service, Jean Hardy, an assistant professor of media and information at Michigan State University, said those concerns center on quality of life and uncertainty about what large-scale data centers could mean for smaller communities.
Communities including Saline Township, Kalkaska and Howell are already dealing with proposals for major data center developments. Hardy said the debate is unfolding as technology expands faster than planning and policy systems are prepared to handle.
He said the broader question is what trade-offs communities are willing to accept as demand for digital infrastructure keeps growing.
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