Environmental groups push Detroit for a data center moratorium as the city writes new rules

New reporting from Planet Detroit says a coalition of environmental justice and community groups, joined by three elected officials, is asking Detroit to pause data center development while the city writes rules to govern it. Reporter Brian Allnutt writes that the City Planning Commission is drafting a data center ordinance for City Council, that two Detroit sites have already been weighed for projects, and that the city has no ordinance on the books today. Planning Commission Director Marcell Todd framed the stakes plainly. "This is not just about permitting a use; this is actually more importantly about regulating a use," Todd told Planet Detroit.

Why we're watching: Detroit is deciding how a fast-growing industry fits its neighborhoods, and we will cover the draft ordinance and the Council vote directly when they land.