Michigan Business Beat | Mackinac Policy Conference 2026, Former Governor Jennifer Granholm - #MPC26

Chris Holman speaks with former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, from The Front Porch at the Grand Hotel, while at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference. Former Michigan Governor and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, now running a consulting firm focused on clean energy strategy, spoke at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference about the opportunities and risks posed by data centers. She argued that when done right — with guardrails around water use, grid cost responsibility, and community partnerships — data centers can deliver significant tax benefits to local municipalities, citing a 45% property tax revenue increase in Loudoun County, Virginia as an example. Granholm also advocated for siting data centers on brownfield properties to reduce community opposition and accelerate grid connectivity, while highlighting Michigan's potential to become a manufacturing hub for data center equipment such as chillers, batteries, and power systems in what she described as a $7 trillion global market by 2030. She closed by noting that beyond construction and operational jobs, communities can leverage data center interest to negotiate apprenticeship programs that build local trades talent — a workforce need she sees as resilient to AI displacement. » Visit MBN website: http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: http://www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: http://twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/