Several people came out to fill the Orpheum Theater on Sunday to hear about challenges communities are facing regarding data centers and crypto mining.
The presentation was livestreamed in conjunction with an online format and sessions occurring in Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. All together, the Michigan United Action Groups and its partner organizations welcomed more than 200 people to the conversation. Youthful adults, older residents and people from across political spectrums share concern crypto mining and hyperscale data centers can cause harm to rural communities.
One of the first to speak from the panel was Lake Superior Academy Superintendent Susie Schlehuber. Understanding hyperscale data centers and crypto mining can take time and some technical knowledge around algorithms and computing. Though the evening’s panelists provided a lot of information to the participants in a fairly easy-to-understand fashion.
“We pay really high energy bills in the Upper Peninsula, some of the highest in the country,” said Dr. Don Lee, volunteer with Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy. “An additional energy bill burden on people in the UP is going to be really difficult, I think, for people. And so I think we can take some of these concerns that I think sort of go across, I guess you would say, political positions and sort of unite people around being able to learn and understand more about ramifications of these hyperscale data centers and some of the other concerns around those like the water use, the energy use, the increase in energy costs.”
Opposition groups to data centers and crypto mining share that Michigan has become a target by these companies. Fresh water lakes protecting the state offer a cooler climate than in other states such as Texas and Georgia. Tax incentives passed in 2024 also attracted crypto companies to the state. However, recent legislation could repeal those incentives. Electric utility companies in Michigan have also expressed desire to fulfill contracts that would help data center and crypto mining ventures connect to the state’s grid.
Local communities across the state opposing data centers and crypto mining have begun organizing. Advocacy groups such as Michigan United Action have local chapters that include groups like Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy, UP North Advocacy and Rise Up Michigan. Knowing how this new industry operates will become a powerful tool for residents attempting to organize their communities. Elected officials also have a role to play in how data center and crypto mining companies operate in Michigan. Seek out more information online with links to local organizations, as well as information provided at the program online here.
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