Detroit doesn't have a single rule on the books to regulate data centers — even though at least two major sites in the city have already been considered for massive facilities. In March, the City Council voted for a two-year pause on new data center approvals so real health, environmental, and financial protections could be put in place first. Mayor Mary Sheffield still hasn't acted on it.

These aren't ordinary data centers. Hyperscale facilities, like the ones being built in Saline Township and proposed near Van Buren Township, can use over a gigawatt of electricity — as much as an entire large city. That kind of demand raises real questions about who pays for the power and water it takes to run them, and whether everyday utility bills go up to cover it. Detroit's own power provider has said the city doesn't even have the high-capacity transmission lines a facility like that would need yet.

Nine environmental and community organizations, along with a U.S. representative, a state senator, and a Detroit City Council member, have already asked the mayor in writing to pause new approvals while the city works out real rules. Meanwhile, a city report meant to inform that process has been criticized for leaning on studies funded by the energy industry and a business chamber, without being upfront about it.

Detroit residents deserve a real say in what gets built in their neighborhoods, and enforceable rules before any new deal is signed — not after. Sign the petition to demand Mayor Sheffield adopt the data center moratorium now, before another project moves forward with no protections in place.