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.

Michigan is seeing a surge in proposed data centers from Saline Township to Lansing. This guide breaks down what data centers are, why they’re controversial, how much water and energy they use, and what protections exist for residents.

This week, WKAR News unveils its series "Michigan’s Data Center Divide" to take you inside the controversy developing in Mid-Michigan and across the state.

The Lansing Planning Commission is delaying moving forward with zoning a controversial data center. It’s one of several proposed data center projects sparking debates across the state.

Deep Green would capture the data center’s heat output and use it to heat water at the Lansing Board of Water & Light, reducing natural gas use.

The data center would comprise more than 1,000 acres of land and would make an unnamed Fortune 100 company the largest taxpayer in Livingston County.