LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research hosted a discussion Tuesday focusing on a growing topic across communities in Michigan: data centers.
WATCH: Data center growth sparks environmental, community concerns among Michigan neighbors at state capital
The event gave neighbors an opportunity to hear from experts and ask questions about how data centers could affect their communities.
Laingsburg neighbor Ellen Link attended the Data Center Lunch and Learn looking for more information, particularly about the potential environmental impacts of data centers.
“It was mostly still pro data center and economic growth, and economic growth is not going to save our planet.”
During the question-and-answer portion of the event, several neighbors brought their concerns directly to MSU experts studying data centers.
Meridian Township neighbor Lynn Bartley questioned the potential environmental impact.
“We have to realize, what does that do to the environment?”
Detroit neighbor Andria Vaughan Robinson also questioned who would ultimately benefit from data center development.
“It doesn’t seem like any benefits are for the constituents.”
But not everyone left the event with the same perspective.
Juliann Trudell, the community engagement coordinator for Ypsilanti Township, said she was pleased by the information presented during the event.
“I am very much encouraged after today’s presentation,” Trudell said. “There was a lot of research and a lot of knowledge around what is happening with construction and data centers.”
While FOX 17 reporter Paige Meyer was talking with Trudell, she explained a data center has been proposed along the Huron River in Ypsilanti Township. She said the township is currently fighting the proposal.
While she came to Tuesday’s event looking for more information on data centers as a whole, Trudell said she still has questions about what a data center could mean for her community.
“I’m still very concerned,” Trudell said. “If there were going to be a data center coming, I think there are just a lot of unanswered questions, especially how it impacts the environment, how it impacts the surrounding community, and so we have a lot of unanswered questions still.”
One of the experts on Tuesday’s panel said he expected people to have those questions.
Jean Hardy, an MSU associate professor of Media & Information, said data centers can have environmental impacts, but he believes there are ways to reduce those impacts.
“People should be concerned, but I think that there are solutions out there and this can be done in a way that is less impactful on the environment,” Hardy said. “There’s always trade-offs in these things so it’s about presenting all of the information that we have and ensuring that people aren’t focused only on the positive and only on the negative.”
Erik Norman, director of MSU’s Institute of Public Utilities, said data centers are likely to remain part of the technology landscape as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure grows.
“They’re [data centers] serving the artificial intelligence tools that many people use and we need to develop that infrastructure in a way that’s thoughtful, that is consistent with Michigan’s clean energy laws for example, that meets the standards for quality of life in the communities, and do it in ways that everybody can benefit,” Norman said.
After hearing from the experts, Tuesday’s discussion provided more information but also highlighted questions that many communities are still working to answer as data center development continues to grow.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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