CHICAGO, IL (March 10, 2026) – Today the Alliance for the Great Lakes released a Regional Playbook for Managing Data Center Impacts in the Great Lakes. The guide is designed for residents, concerned citizens, grassroots organizations, and local leaders across the Great Lakes region seeking clear, accessible information on the rapid growth of data centers and their impacts on water, energy, land use, community health, and local economies.
The Playbook brings together a compilation of ideas, data, and practical tools, drawing from existing toolkits, guidance documents, and best practices developed by state advocates, organizations, and communities across the Great Lakes region.
“Communities across the Great Lakes are increasingly confronted by proposals for large-scale developments with significant water demands – from manufacturing plants, food and beverage facilities, and energy projects to data centers – that are not required to measure or publicly report how much water they use when they receive water from local municipal systems. These proposals often move quickly and can come with community and environmental impacts that are not always clearly explained to residents or local leaders,” said Maria Iturbide-Chang, Director of Water Resources.
“The playbook is designed to inform Great Lakes residents about the processes and the potential consequences, identify the right questions to ask at the right moment, and navigate local and regional decision-making processes to ensure that we protect our Great Lakes, its water resources and the communities that depend on them.”
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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes dcarr@greatlakes.org