At a campaign event in Detroit, Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers announced he would support a one-year moratorium on the construction of new data centers.

When asked by Craig Mauger of the Detroit News, Rogers said: “While I don’t support a federal ban, Michigan needs stronger guardrails to protect community control, prevent utility price hikes, protect our water and stop pay-to-play schemes.” He elaborated, “I think we need to take a pause, probably, and make sure that we’re answering all the questions that people have.”

Opponents of Data Centers have highlighted the difficulty of electrical grids supporting their workload. Based on a report from the Heritage Foundation, they reported that “one of the biggest obstacles slowing America’s data-center boom is the growing inability of the electric grid to provide stable, baseload power. Data centers consumed roughly 4.4% of total U.S. electricity demand in 2023 and may reach 12% by 2028.”

Data centers have become a critical issue leading up to the 2026 midterm elections. A July Fox News poll shows that 70% of voters disapprove of data center construction in their area. According to Datacentermap.com, Michigan currently has 79 data centers. Detroit, where Mike Rogers spoke, leads the state with 35 data centers inside or near the city.

Mike Rogers is currently in a dead heat Senate race with Abdul-El Sayed. An August 20th, AARP poll found the race nearly tied. In that poll, Mike Rogers led Abdul-El Sayed by eight points in the age 50+ demographic. Both candidates will have to address the tricky issue of data centers if they want to be Michigan’s next Senator.