Michigan's Delhi Charter Township Weighs $10 Billion, 700-Megawatt Data Center Proposal

Delhi Charter Township in Michigan could become the home of a major new data center, after the Lansing Economic Area Partnership announced a partnership with Lighthouse Sustainability to explore hosting a facility on 423 acres of land off College Road. The proposal underscores the growing appetite for large-scale digital infrastructure across the United States, even as communities increasingly scrutinize the power, water and land demands such projects carry.

Lighthouse Sustainability, whose founders hail from New York and Colorado, will lead community engagement efforts beginning October 27. LEAP president and CEO Bob Trezise said in a statement that the organization selected Lighthouse because of its renewable energy expertise and its commitment to working with the community. Although no formal data center proposal has yet been filed, the Lansing State Journal reported that Trezise and Lighthouse co-founders Gary Dorris and Paul Saferstein are pursuing a $10 billion, 700-megawatt data center at the site. Any developer would have to wait until Delhi Township's data center moratorium ends in April 2027 before submitting an application.

The announcement has drawn attention to the pace at which such projects are being floated. The Detroit News reported that Township Manager Tracy Miller said the board began learning about the project at the same time LEAP informed news organizations, and that Trezise had no prior discussions with local government officials about the plan, with no non-disclosure agreements signed. Lighthouse has posted preliminary protections on its website but said residents will determine the final guardrails. As currently outlined, those include a community benefits agreement, an investment fund, lower electric bills via solar paid for by the data center, renewable energy and a closed-loop cooling system, wetland preservation, new jobs and tax revenue.

According to a joint press release from Lighthouse and LEAP, the engagement process gives residents time to examine studies, question the project team and provide input for a proposal before the township is asked to consider future development on the site. The township board selected the land as a priority for economic development in its 2023 Master Plan, aiming to attract investment to the area. Trezise said the region needs new investment or else it could face an aging population and fewer tax dollars to fund local governments. The partnership is now trying to determine whether a data center would be economically beneficial for the township and mid-Michigan more broadly, with two independent studies expected in November. Researchers are measuring possible tax revenue, job creation, construction investment, truck traffic, utilities overview and economic output using modeled scenarios. Residents can ask questions, take a survey and view upcoming listening sessions at lighthouses.eco/holt, with the first session held online at 6:30 p.m. on October 27.