Michigan
Active Bans / MoratoriumsMichigan introduced a bipartisan House bill package (HB 5594-5596) proposing a one-year moratorium preventing EGLE and local governments from issuing data center permits until April 2027. Governor Whitmer has explicitly stated she would veto any moratorium legislation, calling it 'an automatic non-starter.' More than 20 Michigan townships and cities have enacted local moratoria independently — the most of any state — with Meridian Township, Macomb County's Washington Township, and the City of Flint (a one-year pause on June 8, 2026) among the most recent. In June 2026 legislators renewed the statewide push: HB 5594-5596 (House) and companion SB 1018-1020 (Senate) were introduced to halt data center development until April 1, 2027, and Senate Democrats unveiled a separate eight-bill regulatory package — though none has been enacted. On July 15, 2026 Governor Whitmer unveiled the Michigan Affordable and Responsible Growth Action Plan, pairing a call for lawmakers to codify consumer and energy-cost guardrails in statute with a voluntary industry pledge — residents never pay for data center energy demand, companies build or buy additional energy resources, grid reliability and freshwater protection commitments, and jobs and community benefits. Google and Oracle announced support the same day. Whitmer continues to oppose a statewide moratorium. Kalamazoo's City Commission approved a resolution on August 18, 2026 enacting a one-year data center moratorium, with the community divided over whether the temporary pause should become a permanent ban. Bay City's planning commission formed a subcommittee on August 20 to study a draft ordinance addressing facility size, power demand, water use, noise and decommissioning, with a revisit scheduled for October. Garfield Charter Township (Grand Traverse County) unanimously adopted a one-year moratorium on data centers and crypto mining on August 25, 2026, extendable to 18 months, to study water and power impacts. Wixom ended its six-month moratorium early in September 2026 and replaced it with stricter zoning — a 1,500-foot setback from homes, schools and parks, a well-water ban and mandatory sound studies — as developer Wixom Industrial One LLC pressed a federal lawsuit over the pause. In September 2026, Zeeland Township adopted a one-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities during its master plan update. Kalamazoo scheduled a public hearing in late September 2026 to convert its moratorium resolution into an enforceable zoning amendment. Saginaw's City Council unanimously adopted a permanent zoning ordinance on September 28, 2026 classifying data centers as special land uses with a 500-foot residential setback, effective October 9.
Legislation
| Bill | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5594-5596 | Data Center Development Moratorium (until April 1, 2027) | Introduced June 2026 — referred to House Government Operations |
| SB 1018-1020 | Data Center Moratorium (Senate companion) | Introduced June 2026 — Senate Government Operations |
| HB 4521 | Data Center Permit Moratorium Act | In committee |
| Michigan Affordable and Responsible Growth Action Plan | Executive plan: legislative ask to codify ratepayer/energy-cost guardrails plus a voluntary data center industry pledge | Announced by Gov. Whitmer — July 15, 2026 (Google and Oracle signed on) |
Local Actions
City Council voted 7-1 on June 8, 2026 for a one-year moratorium on data centers amid public outcry.
12-month moratorium on all data centers (preemptive).
180-day moratorium. Triggered by 84-acre proposed campus.
1-year moratorium on all data centers.
City Council approved a resolution opposing unrestricted use of Detroit water for AI data center cooling and calling for consumption monitoring and environmental safeguards. The City Planning Commission is developing a Detroit-specific regulatory framework; the mayor remains undecided on a moratorium.
Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on providing water and sewer services to new data centers on April 22/23, 2026. Township Board had passed a resolution April 15 requesting the move. Prompted by a proposed $1.2B University of Michigan data center and Thor Equities' $1B proposal (potentially 1M gallons/day water demand).
60-day emergency moratorium + 365-day resolution on all data centers (preemptive). 57 resident emails in support.
6-month moratorium on all data centers (preemptive, no proposals pending).
6-month moratorium (expired). Triggered by $1B Meta hyperscale campus proposal on 1,000+ acres.
Moratorium enacted, lifted 2/3/2026 after M-3 zoning adopted. Suspended by citizen petition (755 signatures) on 3/2.
1-year moratorium on data center development
1-year moratorium on data center development
2-year moratorium on data center development
180-day moratorium on data center development
12-month moratorium on data center development
12-month moratorium on data center development
Planning Commission approved moratorium draft for up to 12 months, sent to legal review
Board voted unanimously on May 19, 2026 for a six-month moratorium on building or approving data centers and battery storage while it develops a regulatory framework.
Board of Trustees passed a six-month moratorium on accepting and reviewing data center applications pending zoning changes.
Township board voted unanimously for a six-month moratorium on data center construction after a large turnout of residents in opposition.
City commissioners are weighing a temporary moratorium on new data center proposals; the commission is set to revisit the question in roughly three weeks after the city attorney presents regulatory options.
City Commission approved a resolution enacting a one-year moratorium on data center development. Residents are divided over whether to make the pause a permanent ban. In late September 2026 the City Commission scheduled a public hearing to embed the moratorium into the zoning code, converting the resolution into an enforceable zoning amendment under state law.
Planning commission formed a subcommittee to study a draft data center ordinance covering facility size, power demand, water use, noise and decommissioning. Revisit scheduled for October 2026.
Township board unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities on August 25, 2026, extendable by six months (18 months maximum), to study impacts on water and power resources and siting.
The city ended its six-month data center moratorium early and adopted stricter zoning in early September 2026: a 1,500-foot setback from homes, schools and parks, a ban on well-water use, and mandatory sound studies. Developer Wixom Industrial One LLC has filed a federal lawsuit claiming the moratorium illegally targeted its 519,400 sq ft Midwinds Park project.
One-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities, approved in early September 2026 to protect local planning authority during a master plan update; repealed and replaced a prior moratorium the same night.
City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance on September 28, 2026 classifying data centers as special land uses requiring individual review and imposing a 500-foot setback from residential areas; effective October 9, 2026. Follows the city's earlier six-month moratorium adopted in January 2026.