A small Michigan community is locked in a struggle against a multi-billion dollar data center project championed by some of the nation’s wealthiest tech figures and political leaders. Residents of Saline Township argue the facility would dramatically increase local energy costs, threaten water resources, and forever alter the region’s rural landscape.
The proposed $7 billion facility would demand a staggering 1.4 gigawatts of power—equivalent to the entire city of Detroit—raising fears it will undermine the state’s ambitious clean energy goals. Despite the township board initially voting against the project last fall under public pressure, the developer, Related Digital, filed a lawsuit. The township, citing a lack of resources for a prolonged legal fight, subsequently reversed its decision.
The project is part of a larger, federally subsidized initiative and has garnered support from prominent figures including former President Donald Trump, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Proponents cite the need for advanced AI infrastructure and the creation of several hundred jobs.
Local opposition, however, crosses political lines. Critics describe the fight as a symbolic clash between ordinary citizens and concentrated corporate-political power. “This is about the widening gap between those who have far too much and the working people,” said Yousef Rabhi, a former state lawmaker and clean energy advocate opposing the plan.
The regulatory battle is now shifting to the project’s energy demands. Utility company DTE Energy has asked state regulators for a fast-tracked approval, claiming the data center will not raise electricity prices for existing customers. This request for limited regulatory scrutiny has been challenged by Michigan’s Attorney General and consumer groups, who are demanding a full, evidence-based review.
State data suggests the project’s massive power needs could trigger a clause in Michigan’s climate laws, allowing utilities to delay the renewable energy transition and build new natural gas plants. DTE executives have indicated new gas plants may be necessary to meet the demand from this and other proposed data centers.
For families like Kate Haushalter’s, who live on a farm adjacent to the site, the project represents an existential threat to a carefully built life centered on nature. “We’re passionate about teaching our kids to respect the land,” Haushalter said. “To have the biggest construction project in Michigan land in my backyard, with seemingly no recourse, is crushing.”
While some Michigan municipalities have successfully blocked similar data centers, local officials often feel outmatched. “This township doesn’t have the money to fight these big companies,” said Saline Township supervisor Jim Marion.
Residents continue to organize, packing public hearings and challenging environmental permits. Their immediate hope rests on forcing a transparent utility regulatory process, insisting that DTE must publicly prove its claims that the project won’t burden ratepayers or the environment.