Data center restrictions tracker · Michigan

Watertown Township, Michigan: data center moratorium (2026)

Data snapshot 2026-08-15 · part of Pricing the Fear of Data Centers

Watertown Township, in Tuscola County, Michigan, adopted a data-center moratorium on May 18, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is in force.

The record reads: "365-day data-center moratorium, adopted 2026-05-18, active per tracker (Moratorium Nation)."

Details

ActionClassStatusDateMW thresholdScopeSource
Moratoriumrestrictionin forceMay 18, 2026not county-wideMoratorium Nation (ALEA Institute)

Jurisdiction type: municipality. County: Tuscola County. Dataset: moratorium nation. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.

Elsewhere in Tuscola County

Michigan context

Michigan has 88 documented local actions across 84 jurisdictions in this snapshot. At the state level, Consumers Energy territory has a large-load tariff (enacted, November 6, 2025).

A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.

Sources

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