Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered strong remarks on April 8 at the Michigan Chronicle’s Pancakes and Politics, endorsing the expansion of data centers across Michigan and highlighting these facilities as necessary infrastructure for the modern economy.
Whitmer emphasized that data centers will be built to meet soaring computing demands, particularly to support the growing need for AI. She argued that if Michigan does not secure these projects, they will be built elsewhere under less stringent environmental and labor standards, emphasizing the need for the state to act as a model for responsible development.
“If we don’t do them here, they’ll be done elsewhere, and they’ll be done less smart, with lower wages in a way that abuses the natural resources and jacks up energy prices,” Whitmer said. “That’s not good for anybody. My whole philosophy on this has been, let’s be a model. Let’s show how it can be done. Let’s solve the problem and let’s do it right so that everyone else has to follow.”
Acknowledging the environmental and financial concerns associated with these facilities, the governor pointed to legislation enacted late in 2024 that established targeted tax breaks for large-scale data centers. To qualify for these incentives under the law, facilities must utilize municipal water, procure 90% clean energy, and guarantee that residential ratepayers do not subsidize additional power costs.
Public hesitation often stems from a lack of awareness regarding the long-term economic value of these technological hubs, a gap the Detroit Regional Chamber is actively working to address as a founding member of the Michigan for Responsible Data Centers coalition. The Chamber’s February 2026 Michigan Voter Poll revealed that 65.7% of voters lack a defined position on data centers, while approximately a quarter express opposition.
Capturing this sector is essential for the state to maintain its economic competitiveness against regional peers. With 40% of the $6.7 trillion global investment in data centers expected to land in the U.S. by 2030, according to McKinsey, Michigan cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while neighboring Midwest states operate with three times the data center footprint.
Watch the Pancakes and Politics video featuring Gov. Whitmer below.