Not Adding Up: As House Votes on Data Centers, Michigan Families Are Spending More on Energy While Data Center Companies Receive Massive Tax Breaks

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a data center bill aimed at encouraging tech companies to consider paying for data center infrastructure. 

Michigan families are already paying higher energy bills, in part due to the Republican Tax Law, which Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett voted for. 

The law repealed clean energy tax credits leading to a projected increase in energy costs of $160 per Michigan household by 2030, and gave tax breaks to data center companies.

“My family is doing everything we can to conserve energy, but with the weather becoming so unpredictable, we’re spending more and more on our utility bill,” said Cynthia, a resident of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. “Nobody should have to choose between buying groceries and heating their home, but with the colder months coming up, I’m nervous about the hard choices we’ll have to make. And I don’t want data center companies coming in and driving utilities even higher.”

On top of the loss of the clean energy tax credits, families throughout Michigan have been facing soaring energy prices as a result of utility price hikes. DTE, one of Michigan’s largest utility companies, was approved for another natural gas rate hike last week, and earlier this year, utility company Consumers Energy was approved for the largest electric rate hike since 2004.