Senate candidate El-Sayed says data centers must protect communities or stay out of Michigan - Detroit Metro Times

Michigan's Rush to Data Centers Sparks Calls for Reform, Says Senator Candidate El-Sayed.

As Michigan prepares to host what could be the largest data center in the country, a growing number of concerns have surfaced over the environmental and economic impacts on local communities. US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has proposed a set of "terms of engagement" that would require large data centers to prioritize transparency, jobs guarantees, and environmental protection before receiving approval.

El-Sayed's plan aims to address the lack of oversight in utility companies' approvals process, which he says is being driven by investor-owned utilities like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. These companies have been accused of pushing for fast-tracked approvals without adequate consideration for rate hikes or reliability problems.

Under El-Sayed's proposal, data center projects would need to meet several conditions before receiving approval, including ensuring that rates remain unchanged, providing meaningful community transparency, guaranteeing energy reliability, and protecting local water resources. The plan also includes provisions for jobs guarantees, community benefits agreements, and penalties for non-compliance.

El-Sayed is pushing back against what he sees as a lack of leadership to take on powerful corporations. His campaign says that his opponents in the Democratic primary have supported tax exemptions for data center development without adequate protections for ratepayers or the environment.

As a former health executive, El-Sayed has built his Senate run around challenging corporate power and prioritizing public health, affordability, and environmental protection. The proposal on data centers is part of a broader effort to ensure that large infrastructure projects deliver measurable benefits to communities, rather than shifting costs onto residents.

El-Sayed's stance on the issue reflects the growing concerns among Michigan residents over the rapid expansion of data centers in the state. The proposed 1.4-gigawatt facility tied to Oracle and OpenAI is particularly notable, with El-Sayed saying it would consume more electricity than the entire city of Detroit.

im not sure about this... i mean el-sayed's proposal sounds good on paper but can we be real? its gonna be hard for them to enforce all those terms of engagement. what if dte energy and consumers energy just push back and try to water down the rules? also, how are they gonna ensure that rates remain unchanged? wont the big corporations just pass those costs onto us anyway? still, i guess its a step in the right direction. we need more transparency and accountability when it comes to data centers. just hope it doesn't become another example of corporate greed being prioritized over people's interests

I'm so worried about these massive data centers taking off like that . I mean, sure they need some infrastructure and all, but can't we think about the bigger picture here? Like, have you seen how much energy that Oracle and OpenAI project is gonna use? It's crazy! We gotta make sure our water resources aren't getting trampled in the process . And what about those jobs guarantees El-Sayed is talking about? Are they really gonna be good for the community or just another corporate spin . I'm all for innovation and progress, but we need to be careful not to get taken advantage of by big corps like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. We need more transparency and oversight in place before we greenlight these projects .

I gotta wonder if El-Sayed's plan is gonna fly ... I mean, we all want transparency and jobs guarantees, but what about the actual logistics? How's he gonna ensure that these data centers aren't just sucking up power like Detroit is? And what's with the opposition saying he's not doing enough to stop corporate power? Can't they see that El-Sayed's trying to balance it out ... I think Michigan residents are wise to want more control over these massive projects. We need someone who can make sure these data centers aren't just lining the pockets of investors , but actually benefiting the community.

I'm so frustrated with these new tech giants coming into our communities and pushing for massive projects without a care for the people living there . As a parent, I just want to know what's going on in my own backyard before some big company swoops in and changes everything. This data center thing is getting out of hand - 1.4 gigawatts in Detroit? That's insane! What about all the little kids who will be living there one day? And El-Sayed's plan is a good start, but we need to do better than just "guaranteeing energy reliability". We need real solutions for our communities, not just some empty promises .

idk what's taking them so long to address this issue but i think el-sayed's plan is a good start its about time we have some oversight and accountability for these massive data centers that are popping up everywhere like they're not gonna affect us at all. and it's not just about the environment, it's also about the jobs and the community benefits i mean who gets to decide what's good for our state? shouldnt it be us, not some corps trying to make a quick buck

I'm not sure if I'm just being too cautious, but let's be real, this new proposal from Senator candidate El-Sayed sounds like a bunch of buzzwords . I mean, transparency, jobs guarantees, environmental protection... it all sounds great on paper, but how does it actually get implemented? We've seen similar promises before and they usually don't quite live up to the hype.

And let's not forget about the real issue at hand: who gets to decide what's best for these data centers? El-Sayed thinks he can just come in and dictate terms, but I think that's a pretty heavy-handed approach . What if the people in Michigan actually want to see more of these massive facilities pop up? Is El-Sayed just going to veto their wishes?

I'm all for accountability and corporate oversight, but this feels like a bunch of empty promises without concrete action . We need to see some real-world changes before I start getting excited about this proposal .

this makes me so worried about michigan's future like how can they just let these corporations run amok without any checks and balances? and what about all the people who are going to lose their jobs or see their rates skyrocket because of this rush to data centers? we need more leaders like el-sayed who actually care about the community, not just corporate profits

I'm not surprised that Michigan is getting a big chunk of data center love... I mean, who doesn't want to be the 'tech hub' of the country, right? It's like we're trying to compete with California or something. Anyway, it's great that someone like El-Sayed is stepping up and saying, "Hey, let's make sure these corporations don't just swoop in and exploit our communities." I mean, who wouldn't want a data center that prioritizes transparency and environmental protection? Sounds like a dream come true! But seriously, it's about time someone called out the lack of oversight in this process. Let's hope El-Sayed's plan sticks around...

data centers are getting outta control they're sucking up electricity like crazy and nobody's really checking in on how it's affecting the community... gotta make sure we've got some transparency and accountability in place

this whole data center thing is getting out of hand i mean michigan's already got enough problems with pollution and whatnot so yeah let's make sure they're not just pushing stuff through without thinking about the consequences and i feel like el-sayed's on the right track by wanting to give local communities more say in what happens in their own backyard it's not too much to ask for a little transparency and accountability from big corps, you know?

I'm just worried about all these new data centers popping up everywhere... remember when we used to have those old dial-up internet days? It was so much slower, but you knew exactly what was going on. Nowadays, it's like they're trying to suck out every last drop of electricity and water from our state before we even know what's happening.

And these companies are making all these promises about jobs and community benefits, but I've seen that kind of language come from politicians before... back in the 90s, remember the Enron scandal? It was like a big ol' Ponzi scheme. We need someone who's gonna keep them honest, you know?

I'm not saying El-Sayed is perfect or anything, but he at least seems to be listening to people's concerns. And let's be real, data centers are just so... 2020s. Can't we all just slow down a bit and think about the impact before we go building these behemoths?

I'm low-key concerned about this rush to build massive data centers without considering the long-term consequences . As a democratic state, we gotta make sure that corporations aren't getting away with exploiting our resources and communities for their own gain . El-Sayed's plan is on point - we need more transparency and accountability in the approval process. I mean, who decides what's 'acceptable' for these data centers? It sounds like a power play between investors and regulators, which is exactly why we need stronger oversight .

And let's not forget about the jobs aspect - if we're gonna create jobs, they gotta be good-paying ones with benefits, not just minimum wage gigs . We can't have our economy growing at the expense of our environment and public health . It's all about finding that balance, you know? And El-Sayed is pushing for it . He's not afraid to challenge the status quo, which is what we need more of in this country .

I'm not surprised that a senator candidate like El-Sayed is speaking out about this issue. It's been pretty clear for a while that data centers are taking off in Michigan and no one's really thinking about the bigger picture. Like, what's the real cost of all these new facilities? We're gonna have to deal with insane energy bills and whatnot... I mean, El-Sayed's plan is a good start, but we need more than just empty promises. I've got friends who work in IT and they're already saying that this rapid growth is gonna lead to some major headaches down the line.

It's also pretty interesting that Oracle and OpenAI are involved in this whole thing. They're basically two of the most influential tech companies out there... what do they have to gain from all this? It's like, we need to be more careful about who gets to decide these things. Can't just let big corps dictate policy, you know?

We need some real reform around here and El-Sayed's taking a good shot at it. Fingers crossed he can make some real waves in the Senate!

omg I just watched this docu on climate change & it made me think about all these data centers popping up everywhere like what even is the point of having a massive server farm in the middle of nowhere? and what's with all the secrecy around it? shouldn't we know who's profiting from our personal info? idk about El-Sayed's plan but I'm down for more transparency & less corporate power grabs

omg u guys i cant believe what's happening in michigan rn they're building these massive data centers left & right without even thinking about the impact on local communities! like el-sayed is proposing some major changes that would require them to be more transparent & considerate of ratepayers & the environment. its about time someone spoke up against those big corp investors who just wanna make a quick buck

i mean, dont get me wrong i'm all for innovation & progress but we gotta think about the people too its not like el-sayed is asking for much he's just saying that they need to prioritize jobs & community benefits over just makin a profit

and omg the fact that this one data center could consume more electricity than detroit is just wild i mean what even is that?! i guess thats why we need more people like el-sayed who are willing to take on those big corps & fight for whats right

man i'm so done with how these companies just swoop in and start building their data centers without even thinking about the consequences . it's like they're playing a game of musical chairs where the only ones who get to sit down are the ones who have deep pockets.

and don't even get me started on the lack of transparency. i mean, come on senator el-sayed is trying to hold these companies accountable and give the people a say in what's going on but it feels like they're fighting an uphill battle . we need more voices speaking out about this stuff.

and can we talk about how ridiculous it is that one data center is gonna consume as much electricity as the entire city of detroit? it's just crazy . i feel for our planet and for these local communities who are getting taken advantage of.

anyway, el-sayed's proposal sounds like a good start but i'm not holding my breath. we need more than just empty promises from politicians .

I was talking to my friend who's from Michigan about this new data center they're building and I'm like "dude that sounds huge" and then she tells me how it's going to use up so much energy that it'll be bigger than the whole city of Detroit... that's just wild. And then I started thinking, our politicians are always talking about growth and progress but what about making sure it benefits the people who live there? It feels like they're only looking out for the big companies that want to build these data centers.

My cousin works in tech and she says that data centers are a big deal because they need all this power and cooling systems, so I guess it's good that El-Sayed is trying to make sure they think about the environmental impact. But at the same time, if people aren't getting any benefits from it, what's the point? It feels like corporations just get away with whatever they want and our leaders are too scared to say anything.

I'm not a politician or anything but I feel like we need more transparency in these big projects so we can make sure that everyone is looking out for each other. Not just the companies that are making money off of it.

I think this is a really good idea from El-Sayed's proposal . As someone who's concerned about the impact of big companies on our environment, I'm loving the fact that he's proposing some real accountability measures for data center development . The idea of requiring transparency, jobs guarantees, and environmental protection before approval is genius . And let's be real, how can we trust these massive corporations to do what's right when they've been accused of pushing for fast-tracked approvals without considering the consequences? It's time for some leadership that puts people and the planet first .

idk why ppl r so quick 2 bash el-sayed on this data center thing . like, ur not gonna build a huge data center w/o some kinda oversight . he's tryna make sure these corps r held accountable for their actions . and btw, what's wrong w/ providing jobs & community transparency? . ppl need 2 know whats goin on in their own backyard . also, the fact that his opponents r supportin tax exemptions without any strings attached is pretty shady . we shd be criticizin the system, not just one guy tryna do somethin diff .