Residents and officials push back on $1.25B University of Michigan data center plan
Ypsilanti Township officials and residents are pushing back against a proposed $1.25 billion research computing center, a partnership between the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Township has adopted a formal resolution to block the facility, citing concerns about energy use and the university not being subject to local zoning laws. The opposition reflects a broader trend of data center resistance across Southeast Michigan.
Opposition to a proposed $1.25 billion research computing center, a collaboration between the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory, is intensifying in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. Residents and local officials have voiced strong disapproval, prompting the Township to adopt a formal resolution aimed at blocking the facility slated for the Bridge and Textile roads area.
Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo and Attorney Doug Winters emphasized the community's resolve, stating, "Our community is not for sale." They criticized the University of Michigan's assertion that it is not subject to local zoning laws. While the University describes the project as a research computing center, claiming it will use significantly less energy than a typical commercial data center, residents remain skeptical. Concerns also include the project's connection to Los Alamos, with some fearing it could make their town a target for attacks due to its perceived association with nuclear weapons research.
A University spokesperson released a statement asserting that the center would advance scientific discovery in fields such as cancer treatment, climate science, artificial intelligence, and national security, clarifying that it would not be a weapons manufacturing site or contain hazardous nuclear materials. The local resistance in Ypsilanti Township mirrors a growing pattern of opposition to data center developments throughout Southeast Michigan.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who previously promoted data centers and introduced incentives for their development, has now called on them to sign a responsibility pledge. Local news channel WXYZ-TV Detroit has created a dedicated section on its website to cover ongoing data center developments in the Metro Detroit area.