Tech giants announce $7B data center, Michigan’s first hyperscale campus

Michigan is set to gain its first hyperscale data center, as tech giants OpenAI, Oracle, and Related Digital announce a $7 billion, 1-gigawatt-plus AI project in Saline Township. The 250-acre campus will create over 450 onsite jobs and additional spinoff jobs in Washtenaw County. The deal faced some pushback from the local township board, but a legal settlement paved the way for the announcement. Utilities DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are also in advanced negotiations for additional data center projects totaling over 5 gigawatts of power capacity. While proponents tout the economic benefits, opponents raise concerns about the facilities' impact on the energy grid, utility rates, and local communities.