Advocacy News – March 5, 2026
What happened: A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced legislation (HB 5594-6) to ban the construction of new data centers in Michigan.
Why it matters:
- Billions of dollars in private investment are actively looking for a home, including here in Michigan.
- Just weeks after legislation was introduced to roll back key economic development tools designed to attract this investment, lawmakers are now considering an outright ban.
- Data centers power modern commerce from manufacturing and health care to finance and AI and are foundational to economic competitiveness.
- Blocking this growth sends a chilling message to employers considering investing in our state.
For the Michigan Chamber, this is about more than one industry. It’s about whether our state is open for business or not.
What we’re doing: The MI Chamber Foundation has launched a new research initiative focused on data center development and investment.
- A cross-sector group of businesses met last week to refine the scope of work and a final report is expected in April.
- The goal: bring facts and economic data to a conversation increasingly driven by misinformation.
At the same time, the Chamber continues meeting with legislators on both sides of the aisle to underscore the benefits tied to data center investment.
Bottom line: Michigan can’t afford to walk away from transformational investment.
Through research, engagement and advocacy, the Chamber will continue working to ensure data center investment and the benefits that follow, comes to Michigan.
For questions or more information, please contact Dan Papineau or Mike Alaimo.