Protesters rally against data centers in Ypsilanti and Van Buren

Protesters gathered on the Rawsonville Road bridge over the Huron River Saturday afternoon to oppose large computing projects planned in neighboring Ypsilanti and Van Buren townships. U-M’s $1.25 billion research computing center with Los Alamos National Laboratory is planned for 144 acres near Textile and Bridge roads, with construction expected to begin in 2027. The facility would house supercomputers used for medical, climate, energy and national security research. Google’s Project Cannoli is planned for about 282 acres in Van Buren Township and could include roughly 1.5 million square feet of data center space. A firm construction start has not been announced, but the facility is expected to begin drawing power in late 2027. The protest was held over the Huron River as opponents raised concerns about runoff and potential impacts to the waterway, along with water and electricity use, utility costs, noise & more.