A petition effort to force a public vote on Mason’s data center ordinance enters its final weekend, with organizers racing to meet the required signature threshold.

Mason City Council members voted to approve an ordinance regulating things like noise emissions, building screening and setback for data centers.

A Lansing city councilmember proposed using a portion of potential data center revenue to fund housing services. The city could learn from one Virginia county where that’s already a reality.

Lansing residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on a proposed data center during several upcoming meetings.

The proposed ordinance would dedicate 10% of revenue the Lansing Board of Water and Light receives from data center utility use to fund housing support services.

Mason is getting ahead of potential data center projects by drafting an ordinance before any proposals arrive. City leaders say they’ve watched other Mid-Michigan communities get overwhelmed, and they want clearer standards for noise, water use and building size. A series of public meetings and open houses will give residents a chance to help shape the rules.

The Board of Water and Light is backtracking on a resolution that would have weakened the board's ability to weigh in on decisions with data centers and give more power to the utility management.

MSU professor Doug Bessette researches the reasons why communities support or oppose renewable energy development. Some of this work could be applied to data centers.

A clear, plain-language glossary explaining the energy, water, land use and policy terms driving Michigan’s data center boom — plus links to WKAR’s full coverage of projects in Lansing, Saline Township, Howell Township and across the state.

WKAR News spoke directly with the CEO of Deep Green, the British company behind the proposed Lansing data center. He explains why an international operator chose Michigan, what makes the project different, and why residents are right to ask tough questions about water, energy, and transparency.