Data Center Water Usage Regulation

Current understanding

Michigan is considering a package of bills (HB 6135–6142, 2026) that would create new regulatory requirements for data centers, including a standalone act (HB 6138) establishing water usage requirements. If enacted, large computing facilities would face state-level constraints on water consumption, a first-in-class linkage between digital infrastructure siting and Great Lakes water stewardship. Status: introduced, tie-barred to the broader data center package.

Evidence log

• 2026-08-26 — Businesses: other; water and electricity usage reporting requirements for data centers; provide for. Creates new act.: House bill (introduced) would create a new act requiring data centers to report water and electricity usage to the state, mirroring the Senate-side SB 0762 reporting approach as a disclosure regime rather than a limit or moratorium. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-04 — Businesses: other; moratorium on certain approvals for and operation of any new data centers; provide for. Creates new act. TIE BAR WITH: SB 1019’26: SB 1018 (introduced, tie-barred to SB 1019) would create a new act imposing a moratorium on certain approvals for and operation of any new data centers, a more restrictive Senate-side approach than the reporting/water-use requirements in the HB 6135–6142 package. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-12-18 — Water supply: conservation; limits on water withdrawals under part 327 of the natural resources and environmental protection act; amend. Amends 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.101 - 324.90106) by adding sec. 32707a.: cross-connection with water-withdrawal-limits: Part 327 withdrawal limits would set the baseline conservation framework that any large industrial water user, including data centers, must operate within. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-12-18 — Energy: other; energy and water usage report requirements for data centers; provide for. Amends sec. 5a of 1939 PA 3 (MCL 460.5a).: SB 0762 (introduced) would amend sec. 5a of 1939 PA 3 (MCL 460.5a) to require data centers to report energy and water usage to the state, adding a Senate-side reporting mechanism alongside the HB 6135–6142 package. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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