Great Lakes States Face a Data Center Governance Gap

New guides aim to help residents and legislators better prepare for and regulate the rapidly expanding data center industry in the region.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 1:56pm

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More than 220 data centers are planned across the Great Lakes basin, but questions about their cumulative freshwater and energy needs remain unanswered. Two new guides from regional organizations aim to help residents and lawmakers navigate the regulatory blind spots that have accompanied the industry's rapid expansion. The guides offer tools for communities to understand data center impacts and push for greater transparency, as well as model legislation for state lawmakers to enact.

Why it matters

The rapid build-out of data centers in the Great Lakes region is reshaping rural communities, straining fragile ecosystems, and forcing states to rethink energy and water policies. However, reliable information on the data centers' direct and indirect water and energy needs has been scarce, with companies often shielding this information behind non-disclosure agreements. The new guides seek to empower residents and lawmakers to better understand and regulate this industry.

The details

The Alliance for the Great Lakes' Regional Playbook for Managing Data Center Impacts in the Great Lakes provides a guide for residents to understand data center operations and their environmental impacts, as well as instructions on how to draft community benefit agreements. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water Policy has released a legislative framework for lawmakers to improve public disclosure of water and energy needs, protect ratepayers from rising utility costs, and introduce legislation with greater protective heft.

  • More than 220 data centers are still planned across the Great Lakes region.
  • In September, the U.S. EPA ordered a priority review of chemicals like PFAS and nitrates that are often found in data center discharges.

The players

Alliance for the Great Lakes

A regional organization that has released a guide for residents to better understand data center impacts and how to engage with local officials.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water Policy

A research center that has released a legislative framework for lawmakers to improve transparency and regulation of data centers in the Great Lakes region.

Pat Oreskovich

A 74-year-old small business owner in Saukville, Wisconsin, who is concerned about the secrecy surrounding the rapid expansion of data centers in the region.

Maria Iturbide-Chang

The director of water resources for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, who says communities across the region are confronted with data center proposals that do not clearly explain their water demands and environmental impacts.

Emilie Washer

A water policy specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water Policy, who says the new legislative model offers policy options to help communities promote transparency and protect the public interest.

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What they’re saying

“We're dialed into this now. We can't stop it. The secrecy of this bothers me.”

— Pat Oreskovich, Small business owner

“Communities across the Great Lakes are increasingly confronted by proposals for large-scale developments with significant water demands… that are not required to measure or publicly report how much water they use when they receive water from local municipal systems.”

— Maria Iturbide-Chang, Director of water resources

“Our new legislative model offers policy options and customizable language to help communities promote transparency and protect the public interest.”

— Emilie Washer, Water policy specialist

What’s next

Regional lawmakers have introduced new bills targeting data center transparency, though a bipartisan divide stalls progress in many states. The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The rapid expansion of data centers in the Great Lakes region has raised concerns about their impacts on water resources and energy demands, but a lack of transparency from companies and public utilities has made it difficult for residents and lawmakers to fully understand and regulate the industry. The new guides aim to empower communities to push for greater accountability and oversight.