Michigan is becoming a hotspot in the national surge of data center development. Why are new proposals accelerating? How do data centers affect electricity rates and local resources? Why are communities increasingly demanding transparency? WKAR News In-Depth explores these questions and more.
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lev dolgachov/Syda Productions - stock.adobe.c/134297507There is a wide consensus among health experts and even many dairy associations that drinking raw milk is dangerous, especially for children. But a Republican state lawmaker wants Michigan to let dairies sell unpasteurized milk directly to customers. -
Lester Graham/Michigan RadioMichigan's environment department is doling out $2.9 million in grants to fund projects that prevent, reduce, or eliminate polluted runoff.
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Be sure to leave yourselves plenty of time for parking, shopping and eating before the parade. -
Michigan State University's new Broad Art Museum Director Phillip Bahar was most recently the president and executive director of Chicago Humanities. -
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. -
Consumers Energy planned to shut down the J.H. Campbell coal power plant on Lake Michigan in May. Successive orders from the Trump administration have required the company to keep it running. -
In a court filing, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is pushing back against Michigan Republican allegations that she is refusing to cooperate with legislative election oversight efforts. -
The Jackson Police Department teamed up with the Battle Creek-based South Michigan Food Bank to give away free turkeys and food boxes to hundreds of hungry families. -
Potential changes include restoring a ban on loitering and again allowing officers to pull people over for having loud vehicle exhausts. -
Erik Altmann will serve as East Lansing’s next mayor following a vote by City Council members Tuesday night. -
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.
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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.
