Today, I’m releasing Terms of Engagement for Data Centers to demand transparency, accountability, and safety as these projects pop up across the country.
Hi John,
You may be hearing a lot about data centers lately — how they might affect your energy bills, our environment, and what that means for our health and jobs.
Already, too many politicians are dragging their feet when it comes to clearly addressing these issues. Meanwhile, corporations are moving fast and locking in deals before communities have a real say.
Data centers hold the promise of good jobs for workers. But the way they’re being rolled out offers no guarantees — and risks raising our utility rates, destroying our environment, and harming our safety. That’s unacceptable, and it’s why I’m stepping up now.
Today, I’m releasing Terms of Engagement for Data Centers to demand transparency, accountability, and safety as these projects pop up across the country.
Before I explain more, I want to ask you to stand with me. Will you sign on in support of my Terms of Engagement for Data Centers?
Add Your Name ››
John, over the last year alone, more than 15 massive data center projects have been proposed across Michigan. One of them would consume more electricity than the entire city of Detroit.
We need guardrails to protect our communities from any negative effects, especially knowing that companies like DTE and Consumer’s Energy — who have a long history of raising rates without improving reliability — are lobbying our state legislature to greenlight these projects on their terms, not ours.
That’s the problem. And below are my proposed terms of engagement, the bare minimum requirements I believe data centers must meet:
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Terms of Engagement for Data Centers
- No rate hikes — Data centers must pay for their own massive energy demand. Their costs cannot be passed on to ratepayers.
- Community transparency — Michiganders must have a meaningful say in whether projects are approved and what benefits they receive in return.
- Energy reliability guarantees — Our power grid cannot become less reliable because of data centers. All projects must include enforceable commitments to improve reliability, funded by data center revenues.
- Jobs guarantee — Data centers must create the local jobs they promise, or face penalties.
- Strong water protections — Data centers must use closed-loop cooling systems so they don’t drain, stress, or pollute local water resources.
- Community benefits agreements — Projects must include binding agreements that deliver benefits like grid upgrades, buried power lines, and investments in water and wastewater infrastructure.
- No clean-energy loopholes — Utilities cannot use data center projects as an excuse to weaken or sidestep clean energy laws.
- Enforceability — These terms only matter if they have teeth. Every agreement must be enforceable, with real penalties for violations.
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I’ll be honest, the utility corporations are going to fight back on this hard. These protections threaten their profit margins, and they’re used to getting their way by pouring money into politics.
That’s exactly why independence matters in this fight. I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race who has never taken a dime from utility corporations, and I never will. I won’t stop until these terms are set in stone to protect Michiganders, but I can’t do this alone.
By signing on in support of these terms, you help show that people are paying attention, organized, and demanding accountability before these projects reshape our communities.
John, add your name to support my Terms of Engagement for Data Centers. Together, we can make sure Michigan isn’t steamrolled by powerful corporations — and that when we build, we do it in a way that actually works for all of us.
In solidarity,
Abdul
