The Howell Township Planning Commission is considering approving the build of Michigan's largest data center on a thousand acres of land in Howell, Michigan. This data center would drastically change Howell as we know it, using massive amounts of energy, polluting our beautiful rural environment, and increasing energy costs for residents.

Data centers consume vast amounts of energy, relying mainly on fossil fuels and in many cases using more energy than the rest of the entire state. Data centers were responsible for than 105 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2023 and the projected emissions are only expected to rise. A data center in Howell will pollute our environment and harm our children's health.  Further, electricity companies pass on the costs of this massive amount of energy consumption onto the residents in the area - which means Howell residents will see more expensive energy bills during times that are already financially challenging.

Moreover, data centers require enormous amount of fresh water resources for cooling purposes which will strain our local water supply, impacting both residential and agricultural needs.  A single large data center's water consumption can rival that of a small town, with some data centers consuming more water than 35,000 households annually.  This impending strain will lead to increased water costs, potential droughts and impacts to local fresh water supply, and even shortages, harming the livelihoods of Howell residents who depend on these crucial supplies. 

Additionally, the operation of this massive facility will increase noise pollution, disrupt local traffic, and impact the rural landscape that is vital to the community's character. 

We demand that the Howell Township Planning Commission halts the plans for this massive data center in Howell and listen to the feedback and voices of Howell residents, who are against this project!

ACTION 1: Sign this petition to make your voice heard and protect Howell's environmental and community integrity for future generations.

ACTION 2: The Howell Township Planning Commission is having a meeting on this topic on Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30pm at 3525 Byron Rd. It is open to the public and open for public comment. COME MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!