Ypsilanti Township fight over U-M computing center intensifies with moratorium
Ypsilanti Township officials have enacted a 180-day moratorium on major electrical infrastructure development in response to plans by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory to build a high-performance computing center. The township is concerned about the project's significant electricity demands, potential environmental impacts, and the university's exemption from local permitting and taxes. The pause aims to allow officials time to review land-use rules to determine their applicability to the large-scale computing facility.
Ypsilanti Township officials have unanimously passed a 180-day moratorium on major electrical infrastructure to reevaluate land-use rules regarding a proposed high-performance computing center by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The University of Michigan plans to develop the center on a 144-acre parcel along Textile Road, having acquired nearly 20 acres in October 2024 and an additional 125 acres in June 2025 for future facilities.
Township supervisor Brenda Stumbo expressed frustration that the University of Michigan, as a state entity, is exempt from local government planning, fire safety checks, building permits, and property taxes, severely limiting the township's oversight. Legal advisor Doug Winters noted that officials only learned the full scope of the project in July 2025, when plans for two large computing centers were revealed. The first phase of the facility is projected to consume 50 megawatts of electricity, eventually scaling to 100 megawatts, requiring a dedicated substation from DTE Energy.
While the university contends the facility is a scientific research center that uses less power than typical commercial data centers, township officials remain concerned. Their worries include potential impacts on local wetlands, wildlife, the Huron River, as well as noise, heat, and stormwater runoff affecting nearby neighborhoods. The moratorium is intended to provide time to assess whether current land-use regulations are adequate for a project of this scale and nature.