Portland, Ore. – January 7, 2025 – The Green Building Initiative (GBI) congratulates Michigan leaders on the finalization of Senate Bill 237 (SB 237) as a Public Act on December 30, 2024. The new law continues Michigan’s commitment to supporting critical data center growth, while holding data center projects accountable to community sustainability priorities. As part of its requirements, the law requires sustainable and resilient design, construction, and operation of these facilities through GBI’s Green Globes certification, among others, within three years of operation.
“Michigan joins a number of states and cities who are committed to sustainable data center development, demonstrated by the passing of SB 237,” said Vicki Worden, GBI President & CEO. “Green Globes is ideally suited to educate, evaluate, and improve data center operations, creating more efficient and resilient mission critical facilities that are positively contributing to communities.”
Senate Bill 237 extends the sunset on a use and sales tax exception from 2035 to 2050, or 2065 if the data center is located on a brownfield site or a location that was used primarily as a power plant for electricity. Data centers may pursue Green Globes New Construction for projects with less than 12 consecutive months of utility data or Green Globes for Existing Buildings for buildings with 12 or more months of utility data for compliance.
To date, nearly 16 million square feet of data centers have been certified or are pursuing Green Globes certification in 17 states and Canada. GBI offers personalized guidance and support throughout the assessment process, multiple compliance pathways for a rigorous, not rigid approach, and matches the data center industry speed to market. In addition to recognition in SB 237, Green Globes certification serves as a compliance pathway in several tax abatement policies throughout the United States, including those in Arizona, Washington, and Illinois. Green Globes certification also contributes to an improved GRESB score, a global benchmarking system, in increasing demand by stakeholders.
Companies including Aligned Data Centers, Compass Datacenters, CyrusOne, Equinix, Powerhouse, and Vantage Data Centers have achieved Green Globes certification to demonstrate their commitment to and accountability for sustainability. To learn more about GBI’s Green Globes certification for data centers, visit https://thegbi.org/greenglobes/datacenters/ or contact info@thegbi.org.
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About GBI
GBI is an international nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer dedicated to reducing climate impacts by improving the built environment. Founded in 2004, the organization is the global provider of the Green Globes® and federal Guiding Principles Compliance building certification and assessment programs. GBI also issues professional credentials, including the Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional (GPCP). To learn more about opportunities to become involved with GBI, contact info@thegbi.org or visit the GBI website at www.thegbi.org.
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