Cass County leaders are taking a proactive approach as data centers continue to expand across the country.
The county held a public forum Thursday night to better understand how those facilities operate and what impacts they could bring to local communities.
Dr. Sarah Mills, director of the Center for Empowering Communities at the University of Michigan’s Graham Sustainability Institute, spoke with officials about the rapid growth of data centers and the factors driving development.
“We've had this surge in generative AI, artificial intelligence. That has led to needing even more computers packed closer together,” Mills said.
Mills said that shift is changing what communities need to consider before projects are proposed, particularly as facilities require more land and energy.
“Those facilities have both bigger land use needs, but also bigger needs for electricity,” she said.
She also said developers are often drawn to rural areas with open land and lower property tax rates.
“They want to have a place where there's low millage rates for paying property taxes. And so this is often why townships that have ample land are places where data centers want to go,” Mills said.
Mills noted that while rural communities may be attractive for development, data centers can place heavy demands on infrastructure, including electricity and water.
County leaders said the forum was intended to help local decision-makers stay informed and be prepared if proposals come forward in the future.
