Benson, James Clash Over Michigan Data Center Moratorium
Michigan gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson and John James both called for slowing or pausing new data-center development during a debate, though James later said local governments rather than the state should decide whether projects proceed. Their dispute focused partly on the Stargate data-center project in Saline Township, involving OpenAI, Oracle and Related Companies, amid concerns about water use, electricity costs, farmland and noise.
Michigan gubernatorial candidates Jocelyn Benson and John James agreed during a debate that the state needs stronger safeguards before allowing additional data centers, citing concerns about water supplies, electricity costs, pollution and local control. Benson supports a statewide moratorium until protections are adopted, while James has proposed giving local governments greater authority and later clarified that he does not support a blanket statewide pause. Other Michigan candidates, including Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed, have also endorsed data-center moratoriums or stronger restrictions.
The debate became personal over the Stargate data-center development in Saline Township, a roughly 250-acre, multibillion-dollar project led by OpenAI and Oracle with Related Companies involved. Benson's husband, Ryan Friedrichs, worked on the project for Related Companies, while Benson denied that her family profited from the development. Construction has begun, and the project's electricity arrangements received regulatory approval that is being challenged in court. Polling cited in the article shows broad Michigan opposition to current data-center development policies, with residents citing energy costs, noise and water impacts.