Rep. Dingell calls for pause on University of Michigan's Ypsilanti Township supercomputing project
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is calling for a pause on the University of Michigan's planned high-performance computing facility in Ypsilanti Township due to transparency and jurisdictional concerns. Separately, Warren City Council enacted a 12-month moratorium on new data centers, and Dearborn City Council advanced a six-month moratorium, both to allow for new zoning regulations. A recent poll indicates significant voter opposition to data center construction across Michigan.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell urged a halt to the University of Michigan's proposed $1.25-billion high-performance computing facility in Ypsilanti Township. In a letter to local officials and U-M's president, Dingell cited concerns over transparency, unclear jurisdictional authority, and unanswered questions regarding the university's agreement with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Residents have voiced strong opposition, identifying the project as a data center.
In response to growing community concerns, Warren City Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on new data centers to allow time for drafting appropriate zoning regulations. This decision follows local electrical infrastructure strains exacerbated by recent storms. Similarly, Dearborn City Council advanced a six-month moratorium, which is expected to extend through March 2027, as it works to define data centers within its zoning code and address controversies surrounding nearby projects.
Separately, Lyon Township residents strongly opposed Project Flex, a proposed $1-billion data center from developer Verrus, citing noise, environmental strain, and property value concerns during a planning commission meeting. In Van Buren Township, residents, including Anne Leischner, reported disruptions from construction noise associated with an ITC project to install electrical infrastructure for a Google data center.
The broader sentiment across Michigan indicates significant public opposition, with a recent WDIV/Detroit News poll revealing that 64.3% of state voters oppose data center construction. Concurrently, Michigan Economic Development Corp. officials are now citing state law for their refusal to disclose companies applying for data center tax breaks, a move disputed by critics who argue for greater transparency. Despite these hurdles, Oracle has begun posting job listings for its $43-billion Saline Township data center, developed for OpenAI, while Google and Anthropic also have nearby projects facing regulatory review.