Flint City Council to Vote on 12-Month Data Center Moratorium Monday

FLINT, Mich. – The Flint City Council is scheduled to vote Monday, June 8, on a proposed 12-month moratorium that would temporarily block data centers from being built in the city while officials study their potential impact on residents, infrastructure, and the environment.

The resolution, introduced by Flint City Council President Candice Mushatt, would halt permits, site plan reviews, construction approvals, and other city actions related to new data centers for one year. During that time, city staff and legal counsel would review zoning regulations and recommend safeguards to protect public health, safety, and welfare.

The debate comes as reports continue to circulate that the former Buick City property on Flint's north side is being considered for a major data center project linked to companies involved in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Supporters of the moratorium say Flint should slow down and gather more information before allowing large-scale data center development. Concerns raised by residents and environmental advocates include water consumption, energy usage, infrastructure demands, and whether the facilities create enough permanent jobs to justify their impact.

"We have a responsibility to the city of Flint, to the residents. We are all residents. We lived through a water crisis," Mushatt said during a recent committee meeting while discussing the proposal.

The measure already cleared a City Council committee and was forwarded to the full council for a final vote.

If approved, Flint would join a growing number of Michigan communities that have adopted temporary pauses on data center development while studying potential impacts and creating regulations.

Question for Flint Talk readers:

Should Flint approve a 12-month moratorium on data centers until city officials can fully study the impact on water, power, infrastructure, and residents?