Event Information

Panelists

Panelists are subject to change. Additional panelists may be added as they are confirmed.

Dr. Sarah Mills
Director, Center for EmPowering Communities, University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute

Dr. Sarah Mills is Director of the Center for EmPowering Communities and a Professor of Practice in the University of Michigan's Urban & Regional Planning Program. Her research focuses on how renewable energy development impacts communities, including land use, local planning, community engagement, and the role of state and local policies in energy development.

Dr. Liesl Clark
Director of Climate Action Engagement, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability

Dr. Liesl Clark leads climate action engagement efforts at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. She previously served as Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and chaired Michigan's Council on Climate Solutions, helping lead development of the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan.

Elizabeth Montez
Miigwech, Inc.

Elizabeth Montez is a Beaver clan citizen of Waganakising Odawa (Little Traverse Bay Bands Odawa) and Forest County Potawatomi descendant, as well as carrying the lineage of Mexico and Appalachia. She is a Board Kwe for Miigwech, Inc, which is a nonprofit organization that is seated in the Anishinaabe Seven Grandfather Teachings. Miigwech, Inc. is driven by a single goal: to promote and practice Mino-Bimaadiziwin (The Good Life) by making our community a better place for all. Elizabeth carries this thread in her work as a lactation consultant and educator, tending to the flames of generations yet to come.

Dr. John Kinch
Executive Director, Michigan Energy Options

Dr. John Kinch is Executive Director of Michigan Energy Options, a nonprofit organization focused on clean energy and community resilience. With more than 25 years of experience in sustainability and energy initiatives, he has worked with communities across Michigan on renewable energy, community solar, energy financing, and energy infrastructure projects.

Moderator

Sarah Drumm
Economic Mobility Manager, Kalamazoo County Government

Sarah Drumm serves as Kalamazoo County's Economic Mobility Manager. She will moderate the panel discussion, guide audience questions, and facilitate a balanced conversation among panelists on topics related to data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Topics Expected to Be Discussed

  • Data centers and their role in digital infrastructure
  • Battery energy storage systems (BESS)
  • Energy demand and grid considerations
  • Water use considerations
  • Public health and safety
  • Land use and community planning
  • Economic development impacts
  • Community engagement and local considerations
If you have a question about data centers or battery energy storage systems you'd like to submit, please use the submission form. Questions submitted through this page may be grouped by topic, summarized for clarity, or combined with similar questions. Due to time limitations, not all questions may be addressed during the panel discussion.

 

Parking

Parking is available on-site at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Texas Township Campus. 

Accessibility Information

Accessibility accommodations are available. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please submit a request online or contact ADA@kalcounty.gov at least 5 business days prior to the event so arrangements can be made.

What This Panel Is

  • An educational discussion featuring subject matter experts

  • An opportunity to learn about data centers and battery energy storage systems

  • A chance to submit questions and hear expert perspectives

  • Focused on providing factual and balanced information

What This Panel Is Not

  • An announcement of a data center or BESS project

  • A proposal or endorsement of a project

  • A public hearing

  • A decision-making meeting

  • A forum for advocacy, protest, or public comment