Data centers are becoming an increasingly important topic across the country, including in Michigan. These facilities raise important questions about water use, energy demand, land use, and potential impacts on natural resources and aquatic ecosystems.

The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is monitoring developments related to data center siting, water use, and environmental policy. This page serves as a hub for resources, research, and updates as new information becomes available.

Explore the resources below to learn more about data centers, their potential environmental impacts, and ongoing policy discussions.

General information: https://www.hrwc.org/our-watershed/threats/development/data-centers/

For more information on how to respond to proposed data centers, please see the following resources from the Alliance for the Great Lakes:

A Regional Playbook for Managing Data Center Impacts in the Great Lakes: Education, tools, policies, and community actions. 

https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AGL_DataCenter_Playbook_2026_Final.pdf

Community Checklist for Evaluating Data Center Impacts

https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AGL_CommCheck_EvalDataCenter_2026_Final.pdf

Community Checklist of Community and Environmental Benefits

https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AGL_CommCheck_CommEnviro_2026_Final.pdf

Questions to Ask at Public Meetings

https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AGL_Questions_PubMeetings_2026_Final.pdf