State Rep. Dylan Miguela calls for data-center moratorium and new consumer protections

State Representative Dylan Miguela provided a brief legislative update to the Westland City Council on May 4, telling members that split partisan control in Lansing has slowed enactment of bills but outlining several initiatives he is pursuing.

Miguela said he has introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting utilities from charging customers fees for paying by credit or debit card, which he characterized as a way utilities are "finding new ways to raise revenue." He also criticized what he called high shareholder profit allocations by utilities and linked energy concerns to the recent influx of large, energy-intensive data centers coming to Michigan.

"We’re seeing dozens of data center projects flock to the state of Michigan," Miguela said, warning the council about energy demand and environmental impacts and saying he is working with colleagues to pursue a one-year moratorium on approvals and to remove certain tax exemptions that have encouraged large data-center builds.

On housing, Miguela said he is preparing legislation — with Representative Farhat of Dearborn — that would restrict some private-equity purchases of single-family homes to preserve opportunities for working-class buyers.

Miguela closed by offering constituent-service contact information for Westland residents who need assistance with state services.