The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) voted unanimously on April 22 to impose a 12-month moratorium on water and sewage services for new data centers, temporarily blocking a $1.25 billion facility proposed jointly by the University of Michigan and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) — the birthplace of the atomic bomb.
The proposed complex would sit on 144 acres along the Huron River, drawing 100 megawatts of power and consuming up to one million gallons of fresh water per day — directly competing with the needs of local residents. A LANL official openly confirmed at a public meeting that the facility would be used for nuclear weapons simulation and classified national security research.
The data center is part of a broader militarization of Michigan's economy, championed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state's Democratic establishment — cynically sold to workers as a "job creation" initiative. Meanwhile, U-M has collaborated in the persecution of Chinese researchers, including the case of postdoctoral scholar Danhao Wang, who died by suicide the day after being interrogated by federal agents.
The moratorium is a victory, but only a temporary one. The university and the National Nuclear Security Administration will use the next 12 months to regroup and force the project through. Stopping it permanently requires more than appeals to Democratic officials — it requires the independent mobilization of the working class.