On Saturday, Feb. 21, State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D, met with residents at the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center for a community conversation focused on early literacy funding, rising electric bills and a proposed data center near Saline.
Irwin told attendees that improving reading instruction in early grades is a top priority in the state budget.
He supports funding for phonics-based literacy programs, teacher training and updated classroom materials. While new reading requirements for teachers take effect next year, Irwin noted that schools need support now.
“The training is so key,” he said. “We should fund the materials and the training so districts can get started.”
He added that he was encouraged that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently made literacy funding a central part of her education proposal.
Much of the meeting centered on electricity rates.
“This is not a 2026 problem,” Irwin said. “This has been building for a long time.”
He explained that years of delayed upgrades to power lines and equipment, followed by increased spending after major outages in 2023, have pushed costs higher. Those investments now appear on customer bills.
Irwin also pointed to a change in state law signed about 10 years ago by former Gov. Rick Snyder that altered how electric rates are calculated. Rates are now based largely on peak demand — the times when electricity use is highest. He said that change shifted more costs onto residential customers.
“That shift is why residential rates have gone up so much faster,” he said.
Residents asked several questions about a proposed hyperscale data center near Saline. Such facilities use large amounts of electricity and water.
Irwin said one project might fit within the current grid, but multiple projects could require new power generation.
“If two or three come in, now we’re building new generation, and the question becomes who really pays for that,” he added.
Michigan lawmakers approved tax incentives in recent years to attract data centers. Irwin said he opposed earlier property tax breaks but supported a narrower sales tax exemption after changes were added.
Those changes require that new electric infrastructure costs cannot be passed on to residential customers, as determined by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The law also requires facilities to use municipal water rather than drawing directly from underground aquifers.
Residents also raised concerns about the University of Michigan’s proposed research computing facility in Ypsilanti Township, which received $100 million in state support.
“I think U of M has been a really poor partner throughout this,” Irwin told attendees, calling for more public meetings and clearer communication.
Irwin encouraged residents to stay engaged as education and energy legislation moves forward in Lansing.
Senator Irwin’s office can be reached at https://senatedems.com/irwin/contact/
Primary photo: State Sen. Jeff Irwin speaks during a community conversation Feb. 21 at the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center in Ann Arbor. Photo by Heather Finch
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