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4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS DATA CENTERS Southeast Michiganders fight AI data centers Data centers are dedicated computing facilities housing infrastructure for vast amounts of data and they are being built all over America. Southeast Michigan is now in the cross-hairs and concerned residents are speaking out. One year ago no one was talking about or even heard about data centers. Now, it’s the talk of the town in many American states, cities and townships. Proposed data centers in Michigan are heavily concentrated in Southeast Michigan, particularly around the Ann Arbor area in Saline, Ypsilanti, York Township and Van Buren Township, with major projects by Oracle/OpenAI and other developers. Significant proposals also exist in Lyon Township and Frenchtown Township, as well as potential sites in Benton Harbor, all aiming to leverage Michigan's energy grid for AI and high-performance computing. The Upper Peninsula isn't immune, with smaller-scale interest and discussions, especially around potential for renewable energy integration, though specific large projects like those in Kalkaska and Lowell (West Michigan) aren't drawing a lot of attention yet. Potential areas to watch in the U.P. involve university towns like Marquette or sites near existing power infrastructure. Key proposed locations: Southeast Michigan (Washtenaw/ Wayne Counties): The biggest focus area. • Saline Township: Proposed home to the major Oracle/OpenAI "Stargate" project and another large development proposed by Sansone Group on former Toyota land. • Ypsilanti Township: Site of a University of Michigan/Los Alamos National Lab high-performance computing center. • Van Buren Township (near Belleville): A large 280-acre proposal from Panattoni near I-94/I-275. • York Township: Another potential site near Milan, discussed for a large development. Oakland County: • Lyon Township: A large Verrus/ Google-backed "Project Flex" site approved for development, focusing on large-scale facilities. Monroe County: • Frenchtown Township: A proposed "Cherry Blossom" AI data center near I-75. Southwest Michigan: • Benton Harbor/Benton Township: A large AI data center on Yore Avenue has been proposed, awaiting state approval. MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 Key players and drivers Hyperscalers (massive cloud computing providers): Companies like Oracle, OpenAI, and Google (via affiliates) are driving massive AI-focused projects. Energy & Water: Proximity to high-capacity power (DTE Energy) and water for cooling are major factors. Economic Boost: Developers promise significant tax revenue, jobs and investment in local communities. Community response Projects often face pushback from residents concerned about energy use, noise, environmental impact, and suitability for the area, leading to moratoriums in some areas such as Pittsfield Township, according to MLive. Residents in Washtenaw County are expressing their concerns over the University of Michigan trying to force their plan to construct a $1.25 billion data center in Ypsilanti Township at Bridge Road and Textile Road. This project is partially paid for with our tax dollars and without our say! Residents are concerned about the energy usage. At 110 megawatts, it would use almost four times as much energy as all Ypsilanti Township households combined, according to residents opposed to the data center. The proposed site is 100 acres near the Huron River. Some residents concerned about the project’s impact on water resources have called for the project to be relocated to land near the former General Motors assembly plant at Willow Run. The project is a partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), most known for creating the atomic bomb. LANL will use 80-90% of the data center for classified research. The University says the project will create 200 permanent research and technical jobs, 30-50 positions tied to operating the data center and 300 construction jobs. The University in a statement says those construction jobs will be union labor. Communities that live near data centers are seeing utility bills increase by over 250%, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News. There are risks to water resources, food security, natural habitat and recreation areas and concerns are being echoed across communities nationwide. The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees has unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-23, formally opposing the data center, stating that they share the public’s concerns about the University of Michigan’s proposed project. “We are demanding that the University relocate the project to a more suitable site, one that does not pose risks to our residents, infrastructure or natural resources,” the Township resolution states. “We have recommended the American Center for Mobility (the former General Motors site) as a more appropriate alternative. We are also urging state and federal officials to support this effort.” The University is exempt from Township zoning laws. But Township officials said they will use “every available tool” to oppose the project at the current site. The board has also demanded that University officials meet with residents in a public forum. The Township has scheduled a public discussion of the project on Jan. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center at 7200 S. Huron Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Resident response David Sands, a schoolteacher who resides in Ypsilanti Township, opposes the building of a data center in his neighborhood. Sands became aware of the U-M data center project when he read the Groundcover News June 13, 2025, article titled “Ypsilanti residents are organizing to ‘Stop the Data Center.” The article inspired him to contact the UM Board of Regents and his state legislators, Senator Jeff Irwin and Representative Jimmie Wilson Jr. “As a local resident I am very concerned not just about the transparency issues around this, but the potential negative effects including pollution, higher energy rates, and destruction of the natural environment where I live,” Sands said. In a separate project, Texas-based Related Digital has proposed building a data center at the northwest side of US 12 between Case Road and Willow Road in Saline Township. The company is partnering with Oracle and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Unlike Ypsilanti Township, developers have the go-ahead to start building the Saline Township data center. The project is being built on 250 acres, with Data center protest in downtown Saline, December 2025. construction anticipated to start in early 2026, and developers claim it will create thousands of jobs and significant economic investment. This large hyperscale facility will power AI initiatives, and despite community concerns about rural impact, developers and officials promise that there will be benefits and environmental measures like water conservation. DTE said utility rates for existing customers will not be affected by the contracts to supply power to the Saline Township data center. But the Michigan Attorney General has demanded that the Public Service Commission have a new hearing on the Saline Township project. “The Commission imposed some conditions on DTE to supposedly hold ratepayers harmless, but these conditions and how they’ll be enforced remain unclear,” Nessel said in a statement. The United States has thousands of data centers, with recent estimates from late 2025 and early 2026 placing the number around 5,400 facilities according to C&C Wave-Tech, representing roughly 38-45% globally, leading the world by a large margin. This massive infrastructure supports the nation's tech sector, with a significant portion concentrated in states like Virginia, Texas and California, and continues to expand rapidly due to AI demand. Ready or not, AI data centers are moving to American neighborhoods swiftly. Get involved and to share your concerns: • For multiple resources/links: linktr.ee/stopthedata • Instagram: stopthedata • Join the Signal group chat: bit.ly/ SDCsignal • Check out the two Stop the Data Center events on page 5 • Contact your local and state politicians JANUARY 23, 2026

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