LEAP and Lighthouse Sustainability Explore Delhi Township Data Center
On Tuesday, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership revealed a collaboration with Lighthouse Sustainability to investigate the potential development of a data center on a 423-acre parcel situated near College Road.
Delhi Township Data Center Moratorium Lasts Until April 2027
The proposed site sits on 423 acres of land off College Road that Delhi Charter Township’s board selected as a priority for economic development in its 2023 Master Plan. Lighthouse Sustainability, whose founders are from New York and Colorado, launched community engagement efforts on October 27. However, there is no formal proposal for a data center currently submitted on either company’s website. Any developer must wait until Delhi Township’s data center moratorium ends in April 2027 before submitting a formal application.
Delhi Charter Township Manager Tracy Miller stated that the township board began learning about the project at the same time LEAP informed news organizations, according to The Detroit News. Bob Trezise, who serves as President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, had not held any previous conversations regarding the initiative with local municipal leaders, and zero non-disclosure agreements have been executed.
Independent Studies Will Measure Economic Benefits for Mid-Michigan
Bob Trezise defended the pursuit of the project by stating that the region needs new investment or else it faces an aging population and fewer tax dollars to fund local governments. Lansing Economic Area Partnership chose Lighthouse Sustainability for its renewable energy expertise and its commitment to working with the community.
November will see the anticipated release of a pair of independent assessments designed to determine whether a data center would provide financial advantages to the township and the wider mid-Michigan region. Utilizing modeled scenarios, analysts are evaluating potential metrics encompassing tax revenue, job creation, construction investment, truck traffic, utilities overview, and economic output.
Lighthouse Sustainability Proposes Community Protections and Benefits Agreement
Lighthouse Sustainability is responsible for leading community engagement efforts. Residents can ask questions, take a survey, and view upcoming listening sessions at lighthouses.eco/holt, with the first online session scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 27.
While Lighthouse proposed preliminary protections on its website, the company stated that residents will determine final guardrails. Currently, these safeguards comprise wetland preservation, an investment fund, a community benefits agreement, renewable energy, lower electric bills via solar paid for by the data center, a closed-loop cooling system, tax revenue, and new jobs.