On Tuesday September 22nd, Clean Water Action joined allies from Michigan Sierra Club, Michigan Climate Action Network, Michigan Environmental Justice Center, and Michiganders fighting data centers as tech workers and in their own backyard in Lansing in Lansing. The goal? To urge the legislature to take action before the end of the year and support a moratorium. Below are the remarks from Clean Water Action and full press conference video.
Send your own message to your state lawmakers to support stopping data centers in Michigan.
My name is Emily Woodcock, I'm the state director for Clean Water Action in Michigan.
One of the most important things that we have at Clean Water Action is a full time, year-round, professional field canvass. We talk with folks in communities all across the state, from the UP to SE Michigan to Grand Rapids: 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, year-round. And through this on the ground organizing we are hearing every day from regular folks in Michigan who are concerned abou the rapid development of hyperscale data centers in our state. We heard from activists today.
This is not a partisan issue. When we knock on doors, we don't have a list. We're not talking to anyone specific. We talk with everyone. And people from across the political spectrum are frightened for their communities as these big tech companies come in and strong arm local cities and townships. Residents feel blindsided, as you heard today, when there is little to no room for public input on these projects.
And in addition to the impacts on our air and on our water, which Chris mentioned, people we talk to everyday are afraid of yet another rate hike for their utility rates. We already pay in Michigan the highest utility rates in the Midwest and we have the least reliable service. And the demand of these hyperscale data centers will only drive up these costs.
The most important lesson that we have learned from our work in the community every day is that the public is with us.
We are here today committed to work with legislators to pass the most effective solutions possible. We need our lawmakers to take strong action. Now.
Thank you.
