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Hundreds of residents oppose Deep Green data center as developers pledge enforceable protections
Summary
Hundreds of Lansing residents filled the council chamber to oppose the proposed sale of a downtown lot to Deep Green for a fuel‑cell data center; developers and BWL officials presented technical safeguards and contractual guarantees but no final city sale vote occurred.
Hundreds of residents, students and union members packed the March 23 Lansing City Council meeting to oppose a proposed sale of city property to Deep Green for a data center that would include an on‑site fuel‑cell power plant and a commitment to provide heat to the Board of Water and Light’s downtown hot‑water network.
The hearing opened with council staff noting the sale (Act Seven 2025) would include a $1.4 million purchase price, a commitment of at least 15 full‑time jobs and a 24‑month city right to buy back the land if work did not commence. Dozens of speakers took more than two hours to deliver testimony for and against the proposal.
Residents and youth organizers urged the council to reject the rezoning and sale or to require a legally binding community benefits agreement (CBA). Opponents cited environmental risks, noise and water use, and questioned the project’s fit for a…
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