Office of the Governor · State of Michigan
Protecting Michigan’s Water & Future from Data Center Exploitation
An immediate moratorium on all new data center development in the State of Michigan
The Great Lakes of Michigan represent the single greatest freshwater resource in the world, containing over 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water, and that resource belongs to the people of Michigan, not to corporations;
A single hyperscale data center can consume between 1 and 5 million gallons of water per day, and over the course of a year can consume more water than 10,000 Michigan residents combined;
In 2024 alone, U.S. data centers consumed 560 billion liters of water, the equivalent of over 833,000 American households;
Michigan offers abundant surface water, deep aquifer systems, and a temperate climate that reduces cooling costs, making it a prime target for tech companies whose site selection teams have learned to exploit Michigan’s permissive regulatory environment;
DTE Energy’s data center agreements alone represent 1.4 gigawatts of new demand, increasing DTE’s total load by 25 percent, with an additional 6 to 7 gigawatts in the pipeline, the equivalent of adding multiple major cities to Michigan’s power grid within two to three years;
When data centers draw from municipal water supplies there is no tracking or reporting requirement regarding water usage, creating what the Alliance for the Great Lakes calls a complete black box;
Michigan’s 2024 tax incentives for data centers could cost the state $90 million by 2065, while most data centers employ only between 10 and 100 permanent workers, with the national average cost per subsidized data center job estimated at $2 million per position;
Michigan is simply not prepared for the water demands being placed upon it by large scale data center development;
The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Michigan obligate the Governor to protect the health, safety, welfare, and natural resources of the people of this state;
Ceric Lasentri, Governor of the State of Michigan
Immediate Moratorium
All new data center development, construction, permitting, and site approvals are hereby immediately suspended across the entire State of Michigan pending completion of a full independent environmental and economic impact review. No new permits shall be issued by any state agency, county, or municipality during this moratorium period.
Revocation of Tax Incentives
All sales and use tax exemptions granted to data center operations under Public Acts 181 and 207 of 2024 are hereby suspended and referred to the Michigan Legislature for immediate repeal. Michigan taxpayers shall not subsidize corporations that drain our water, strain our power grid, and deliver minimal employment in return.
Mandatory Audit of Existing Facilities
All currently operating data centers within the State of Michigan shall within 30 days submit full and complete disclosure of daily water consumption, energy usage, source of water supply, and wastewater output to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Failure to comply shall result in immediate suspension of operating permits.
Great Lakes Protection Standard
No data center, existing or proposed, shall be permitted to draw water from any source connected directly or indirectly to the Great Lakes Basin without full legislative approval, a complete independent environmental impact study, and a binding public vote by the affected communities.
Community Protection
No data center shall be approved in any Michigan community without a binding community benefit agreement, demonstrated local employment commitments, full transparency on environmental impact, and written consent from the affected municipality and its residents.
Independent Review Commission
A 12 member Independent Data Center Impact Review Commission shall be established within 15 days of this Order, comprised of environmental scientists, water policy experts, independent economists, constitutional attorneys, and citizen representatives from affected communities. This Commission shall deliver a full public report within 180 days.
Legislative Referral
This Executive Order calls upon the Michigan Legislature to immediately draft and pass permanent legislation codifying these protections into Michigan law, ensuring that no future administration may sell Michigan’s water and power infrastructure to corporate interests without full public accountability.
Stand With Michigan’s Water
Help get Ceric on the ballot. Michigan needs a Governor who protects our resources, not sells them to the highest bidder.