Michigan’s utilities have been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons—from DTE’s efforts to expedite a contract to power a data center despite public opposition (spoiler: Michigan regulators approved the request), to rate hike requests that never seem to end.

Now, there’s a new effort in the state to rein in some of the power of the state’s biggest utility companies, in this case, giving Michiganders the final say on whether they can keep bankrolling our elections.

The ’Gander’s Kyle Kaminski has more down below.

Plus: A Democratic US Senate candidate in Michigan has released his list of rules data centers would need to follow to operate in the state—if he’s elected.

Nessel reverses ‘unconstitutional’ House GOP cuts (Bridge Michigan): Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel ruled that House Republicans’ move last month to unilaterally cut $645 million in state spending was unconstitutional, clearing the way for funding to resume for programs ranging from monetary support for new moms to providing wigs for Michiganders with cancer. House Speaker Matt Hall has vowed to sue.

State to appeal Line 5 court decision (IPR): Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is appealing a federal court ruling that sided with Canadian energy company Enbridge and blocked Michigan from shutting down the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. The legal fight now spans multiple courts, as the state argues that the line poses safety concerns while Enbridge says pipeline oversight and foreign policy rest solely with the federal government.

Michigan lawmakers react after ICE agent kills woman in Minneapolis (MI Advance): Comments by Michigan lawmakers were sharply split after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot an American woman in Minneapolis. Democrats are calling for investigations and accountability, while Republicans have backed claims of self-defense by the agent. The incident has intensified the debate over ICE’s tactics and oversight.

A new petition called Mop Up Michigan wants to give Michigan voters the chance to ban political donations from DTE, Consumers Energy, and other monopoly corporations—and expose dark money along the way.

Political correspondent Kyle Kaminski has more on this edition of “so what, Michigan?”

(The ’Gander TikTok)

RELATED: Find a location to sign the petition near you.

The Democratic US Senate candidate is laying out new rules of the road for data centers—including no rate hikes and water safeguards—as dozens of new projects take shape across Michigan. (Abdul El-Sayed via Facebook)

By Kyle Kaminski

As plans for large, electricity-guzzling data centers continue to crop up across Michigan, Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed this week became the first candidate in the race to release a detailed plan that would rein in their rapid expansion.

El-Sayed’s proposal, which he is billing as new “terms of engagement” for data centers, outlines specific conditions he says companies should be required to meet before projects are approved.

All told, his plan lays out a new set of enforceable protections that are aimed at preventing higher utility bills, safeguarding water resources, and ensuring communities have real leverage as data centers and other artificial intelligence projects seek to expand across the state.

“We’ve watched as data center projects have proliferated up and down our state, raising alarm and concern about the impacts on water resources, electric bills, and safety,” El-Sayed said in a  statement released on Thursday. “These terms of engagement represent the bare minimum that data center projects should be able to guarantee if they want to move into our communities.”

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Kyle Kaminski. It was edited by Kimberly Lawson.

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