Delhi Township has dropped its membership from the Lansing Economic Area Partnership after being caught off guard by an announcement that LEAP was exploring putting a data center on a site off College Road.
"Effective immediately, Delhi Township is ending our membership with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership,” Township Manager Tracy Miller said in a Wednesday statement.
"This decision reflects our Township’s commitment to putting our residents first, protecting local interests and ensuring we are always guided by what's in the best interests of our community."
Tuesday, Miller had issued a statement that said the township only learned about the development announcement “at the same time as members of the media.”
The township has a 12-month moratorium on data center projects that is scheduled to end in April.
Miller did not immediately return a call seeking more comment.
LEAP and Lighthouse Sustainability, a privately held Colorado company, announced Tuesday they were exploring building the center on a 423-acre site known as Holt Economic Opportunity Park. No applications have been filed, nor has an end user of the potential development been identified.
The $10-billion project would generate $53 million in annual revenue, according to Gary Dorris, one of Lighthouse’s co-founders.
LEAP and Lighthouse Sustainability are planning a wide-reaching community engagement campaign over the next six months in hopes of winning public support for the project before the moratorium ends.
Speaking at an online public meeting Tuesday night, Dorris said the concept calls for a 700-megawatt data center with six hours of battery storage, closed-loop cooling and roughly 90 acres set aside for nature.
The proposal also includes a stated $20 million community fund and free rooftop solar and storage for Ingham County residents, he said.
