The Delhi Township Board of Trustees has called a special meeting for Friday to consider a resolution opposing data centers after the surprise announcement that one might be in the works.
The township already is in the midst of a 12-month moratorium on accepting data center proposals. This would put the board on record as against them.
"The Delhi Charter Township Board of Trustees hereby voices its official opposition to any data center development in the Township," the resolution reads. It was posted online Wednesday along with the announcement of the special starting at 5:30 p.m.
The resolution also cites a statement it says one of the potential developers, Tom Dorris, made that they would drop their plans for the center if the community opposed it.
The resolution says the board "calls upon LEAP/Lighthouse to be true to their word and immediately cease all efforts regarding a data center proposal in Delhi Township due to the overwhelming amount of negative public input received."
LEAP is the Lansing Economic Area Partnership. It and Lighthouse Sustainability, a Colorado-based private company, announced Tuesday that they were partnering on exploring the possibility of putting a data center on a 423-acre site off College Road.
The data center could be as much as a $10 billion investment, according to media reports. Dorris said it would generate $53 million in annual revenue.
Dorris, a Lighthouse cofounder, spoke online Tuesday night about the proposal as part of a public meeting aimed at local residents.
Delhi Township had already announced that it had dropped its LEAP membership following an announcement that LEAP was exploring putting a data center on a site off College Road.
"Effective immediately, Delhi Township is ending our membership with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership," Township Manager Tracy Miller said in a Wednesday statement.
"This decision reflects our Township's commitment to putting our residents first, protecting local interests and ensuring we are always guided by what's in the best interests of our community."
Tuesday, Miller had issued a statement that said the township only learned about the development announcement "at the same time as members of the media."
The township has a 12-month moratorium on data center projects that is scheduled to end in April.
Miller did not return a call seeking more comment.
LEAP and Lighthouse Sustainability are planning a wide-reaching community engagement campaign over the next six months in hopes of winning public support for the project before the moratorium ends.
Speaking at the online public meeting Tuesday night, Dorris said the concept calls for a 700-megawatt data center with six hours of battery storage, closed-loop cooling and roughly 90 acres set aside for nature.
The proposal also includes a stated $20 million community fund and free rooftop solar and storage for Ingham County residents, he said.
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