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People are worried about data centers coming Up North. Should they be?

Matt Rine, pictured furthest to the right, takes questions in November 2025 about his idea for a data center in Kalkaska from a crowd gathered at Garfield Township Town Hall and Library in Fife Lake. (Photo: Claire Keenan-Kurgan/IPR)
Matt Rine, pictured furthest to the right, takes questions in November 2025 about his idea for a data center in Kalkaska from a crowd gathered at Garfield Township Town Hall and Library in Fife Lake. (File photo: Claire Keenan-Kurgan/IPR)

Data centers are popping up around the country, including in Michigan. So far, the projects have been downstate. What's the likelihood they'd come Up North?

Some local communities have passed preemptive moratoriums on data centers while they work out zoning rules for a potential project.

But there aren't any known projects in the works for northern Michigan at the moment.

We look at the landscape up here (figuratively and literally) and talk with some experts about the likelihood of big data centers coming to northern Michigan.

Reporting for this episode was by Vivian La and Austin Rowlader.


Producer: Austin Rowlader
Editing: Steve Junker
Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Ed Ronco is IPR's news director and the local host of "Morning Edition," as well as the "Up North Lowdown" daily news podcast.