Porter Township leadership pass one-year data center moratorium

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- Porter Township Board members unanimously approved an ordinance establishing a one-year data center moratorium.

Board members said that if the process to draft and pass a permanent ordinance takes longer than expected, extending the moratorium is possible.

Porter Township Supervisor Richard Drews said, “This moratorium is for one year, but there is a clause that says we can extend it for another year if we don’t achieve the goal. Our goal is to have it done within a year.”

Some residents who attended Tuesday evening’s meeting said they want the township to ban data centers outright. However, under Michigan law, local governments cannot ban or write ordinances that effectively prevent potential data center projects.