Slotkin calls for temporary pause on Michigan data center development, criticizes Whitmer
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin called for a temporary pause on new data center development, citing concerns about community impacts and water and electricity use. Her comments came amid opposition to a 1.65 million-square-foot Oracle and OpenAI project in Saline Township that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has promoted.
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said Michigan should temporarily pause data center development so communities can assess whether proposed projects are appropriate and understand their effects on water and electricity use. Speaking at an event at the University of Chicago, Slotkin also criticized AI company leaders and said public sentiment was not aligned with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s support for the industry.
The comments followed controversy over a 1.65 million-square-foot data center project in Saline Township involving Oracle and OpenAI. Whitmer attended the project’s groundbreaking and described it as the largest economic project in Michigan history. Other Michigan politicians, including U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, have opposed the project or called for a broader pause, with Rogers advocating a one-year moratorium on new data center developments.