UMich Board of Regents discusses recent construction projects and satellite campuses
University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso discussed the planned $1.25 billion research computing facility in Ypsilanti, which is being developed in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory. He said the facility will use less energy than a commercial hyperscale data center, will not draw from or discharge into local water sources, and will have a dedicated DTE Energy substation. Residents and other attendees criticized the project during public comment.
University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso told the Board of Regents that the university’s planned $1.25 billion computing and research facility in Ypsilanti has generated community concern. The university held a second town hall to collect feedback, and Grasso emphasized that the project is a university research facility rather than a military installation or commercial data center.
Grasso said the facility could require up to 100 megawatts but would use roughly one-tenth the energy of a commercial facility at peak capacity. He said it will be built on industrial-zoned land, use open- and closed-loop systems, avoid drawing or discharging water from the Huron River or local groundwater, and receive power through a dedicated substation developed with DTE Energy. During public comment, Ypsilanti Township resident Rory McGuinness criticized the university’s handling of the proposed development and questioned its leadership and motivations.