May 2026

The Caucus is gathering in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in September; limited number of travel scholarships available

This fall, on the shores of Lake Superior, legislators from across the basin will convene for a two-day meeting that explores the future of Great Lakes policy and protection. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) will hold the annual meeting on September 28-29 in Marquette, Mich.

The event is open to GLLC members, all other legislators representing the eight states and two provinces of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin, and representatives from partner organizations. The meeting will cover emerging contaminants, conservation practices, policies to address large water users, and many other policy areas.

Participants will also get a firsthand look at efforts in the Great Lakes to control invasive sea lamprey. Members will hold Executive Committee member and officer elections and vote on policy recommendations.

A limited number of travel scholarships are available to GLLC members, with priority for those engaged in GLLC committees and task forces. Register as soon as possible to be considered for a scholarship.

Digging Deeper into Data Centers in the Great Lakes and Beyond

In March, the GLLC partnered with CSG Midwest and the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues to host two speakers on the economic impact of data center development. Dr. Ning Lin from the University of Texas and Dr. João-Pedro Ferreira from the University of Virginia provided insight into jobs, tax revenue, and siting data centers. Dr. Lin's presentation focused on work in Texas, which is second only to Virginia in data center electricity capacity. Texas has recently passed legislation to define "large load" facilities as using more than 75 MW of power; those facilities to pay for transmission upgrades. Dr. Lin's research unit developed a tool for site suitability in Texas that takes energy, land/water availability, labor force, natural hazards, and fiber optic connectivity into account.

Dr. Ferreira's study focused on a recent study of data centers in the Great Lakes region, which currently has 20 percent of the data centers in the United States. Illinois and Ohio have the region's most data centers. The Great Lakes is expected to see an increase in energy demand from data centers, with growth reaching 17 percent of all electricity sales by 2040. In terms of economic impact, Dr. Ferreira's study found that the majority of jobs are in the construction, rather than the ongoing operations, of data centers. In 2024, Great Lakes states received $468 million in taxes from data centers.

Progress Report on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

In March, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6422, which includes the language necessary for reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Action is still needed in the U.S. Senate by September 2026 to avoid a disruption in program authorization.



Late last year, GLLC legislators from all eight Great Lakes states signed on to a letter in support of reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That letter was sent to Great Lakes congressional members. Established in 2008, the initiative has coordinated U.S. federal funding across federal agencies and throughout the Great Lakes. 

Great Lakes State and Provincial Legislative Tracker

Take a look at the searchable, sortable GLLC State and Provincial Legislative Tracker for the latest legislative activity.