Lansing Planning Commission Backs Data Center Rezoning

Commissioners vote 5-2 to recommend city council approve 24-megawatt facility near Grand River

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Lansing City Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend the city council rezone a 2.5-acre parcel near the Grand River for a proposed 24-megawatt data center and 16-megawatt fuel cell plant. The commission had previously rejected the rezoning request from U.K.-based data center company Deep Green, but some commissioners shifted their stance after the company made additional commitments in its buy-sell agreement.

Why it matters

The proposed data center project could bring new economic activity and tax revenue to Lansing, but there are also concerns about its environmental impact, including the emissions from the planned fuel cell plant that would power the facility.

The details

The land currently holds a parking lot, but if approved, Deep Green plans to redevelop the site to host both the data center and fuel cell plant. The company has committed to local noise limits, paying for all required energy infrastructure upfront, and offering the city the right to buy back the land if the project doesn't move forward within two years. Deep Green says the facility's heat reuse model, which would provide heat to the city's downtown heating loop, is a key reason for the downtown Lansing location.

  • The Lansing City Planning Commission voted on the rezoning request on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
  • The city council will now consider the planning commission's recommendation.

The players

Deep Green

A U.K.-based data center company that has proposed the 24-megawatt data center and 16-megawatt fuel cell plant project in Lansing.

Lansing City Planning Commission

The city planning commission that voted 5-2 to recommend the city council approve the rezoning request for Deep Green's proposed project.

Lansing City Council

The city council that will now consider the planning commission's recommendation on the rezoning request.

Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL)

The municipal utility that has a contract with Deep Green to provide the heat reuse infrastructure for the proposed facility.

Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP)

The regional economic development organization whose vice president argued the data center project could be an economic boon for the city.

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What they’re saying

“The proposed site sits right on the edge of BWL's planned hot water network, and ensures efficient access to the heating infrastructure while placing the building in a location that is already surrounded by similar land uses.”

— Rob Stolpestad, Member of the project development team (Michigan Advance)

“Despite what Deep Green would have you believe, this plant would be polluting. It would emit as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, about 60 to 70% as much as a traditional natural gas plant.”

— Ivan Droste, Lansing resident (Michigan Advance)

“Places can be restored. The river can have a vision of restoration.”

— Nichole Keway Biber, Mid-Michigan campaign organizer, Clean Water Action (Michigan Advance)

What’s next

The Lansing City Council will now consider the planning commission's recommendation on the rezoning request for Deep Green's proposed data center and fuel cell plant project.

The takeaway

The proposed data center project highlights the tension between economic development and environmental concerns in Lansing, as the city weighs the potential benefits of new tax revenue and jobs against the potential environmental impact of the facility's fuel cell plant and water usage.