A package of legislation intended to attract large data centers to Michigan has made some progress in the state Legislature.

State Representative Joey Andrews tells us the bills would grant an equipment tax exemption to the centers. One of bills passed the House Wednesday, although the other has been delayed.

Andrews says the legislation was on its way to passage last year when environmental groups started expressing opposition. He says large data centers offer high-paying jobs and are a boon to their communities.

“And they’re huge, huge taxpayers,” Andrews said. “So, like any community you look around the country that’s gotten these, it’s been a massive boost to their school funding, local government funding. Our community here would benefit so much from being able to get these. And we had a few people who kind of decided to play activist and try to stop the process from moving, and the Speaker decided we passed one of the bills, we’re almost certainly going to get this other one passed. So we’re going to take it up on another date.”

Andrews says environmentalists are concerned large data centers use too much water and electricity. However, he believes Southwest Michigan has plenty of both.

The vote to approve one of the two bills this week was bipartisan. Andrews says he’s confident the other bill will be approved, probably after the election.