Michigan is about to become home to some of the largest data centers on Earth. A $56 billion complex called "The Barn" is already under construction in Saline Township — and it's just the beginning. But right now, there are almost no rules requiring them to protect the water we drink, the workers who build them, or the communities that host them.

That needs to change.

A package of eight bills introduced in the Michigan Senate — Senate Bills 1046 through 1051, along with SB 762 and 763 — would put basic guardrails in place. The legislation would cap how much water a data center can use each day, require large facilities to run on 90% renewable energy, ensure construction workers are paid a fair wage, and ban secret nondisclosure agreements that keep the public in the dark about what's being built in their own backyards. Most importantly, it would require data center operators to sign legally binding community benefit agreements before they ever break ground.

These aren't radical demands. They're common sense. Michigan's water belongs to all of us — not to the highest bidder. And when billion-dollar corporations receive tax breaks and public infrastructure to operate here, the least they can do is be transparent, pay workers fairly, and sign on the dotted line for their communities.

"The companies benefiting from these projects should be responsible for the costs they create, and Michigan residents deserve confidence that new development will not compromise affordability, reliability, or community needs," said Andrea Pierce, deputy director of programming for the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition.

We urge the Michigan Senate Committee on Energy and Environment — and the full Michigan Legislature — to pass this package without delay. Data centers may be here to stay, but so are Michigan's families, its water, and its workers. They must come first.

Sign this petition to tell the Michigan Legislature: pass the data center accountability bills now.