When we as a community talk about fighting data centers, we often overlook the largest trick up the data centers' sleeves: Data centers are, at their core, a business.

Businesses have rights. Whether you believe they should or not is debatable. Many of the business rights on the books were created to protect small businesses, but in order to avoid discrimination, those same protections also extend to large businesses—including mega corporations.

When a company is denied the right to set up shop in your community, there has to be a legally defensible reason why. It can't simply be, " Well, we don't like them. " There must be a history of that same type of business being denied access based on predetermined zoning parameters or established policy. Otherwise, it can be considered discrimination.

Data centers and the corporations behind them cannot simply be voted out.

Saline tried. What happened? The company returned and sued the city for discrimination. Saline did not have the budget to fight the legal battle, and now, in a city where few residents wanted it, a data center is being built.

One practical step our city can take to better protect residents is to review its insurance policy and ensure there is sufficient legal coverage to withstand a challenge from a large corporation.

Yes, this may require a temporary increase in the city's insurance spending, but it ensures that when the fight comes, we can actually afford to show up on the battlefield.

Pressure the city to strengthen its insurance coverage so we don't fall victim to the same outcome Saline experienced. We have to position ourselves to fight these data centers because, on paper, there may otherwise be no legitimate reason for the city to deny them access.

Noise ordinances alone are not enough to stop them.

They generally produce less traditional pollution than many of the industrial facilities we've already welcomed into our community.

The water and electrical infrastructure at Buick City is already well-suited for this type of facility.

Right now, we're sitting ducks.

The city has to be proactive if we want to stand a chance.