SALINE TWP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Saline Township residents are fighting back against a massive data center project. They're planning to protest in downtown Saline this afternoon. This proposed project has been drawing strong opinions across our community.
Watch Brittany's report in the video player below
DTE plans for the 1.4 Megawatt site to cover over 200 acres of farmland. It's the largest economic project in Michigan's history, creating more than 2500 union construction jobs. But many worry about what this data center will do to our power grid.
Many say they moved here because they like the country, and a 250-acre AI data center is not the view they want. Property value, pollution ,and higher energy bills are all top of mind for residents, who say they feel bulldozed by the whole process.
Governor Whitmer called the proposed center the "largest one-time investment in state history", but many residents don't support it.
Kathryn Haushalter isn't mincing words.
"(It's a) giant monstrosity of a data center," she said.
She and dozens of her Saline Township neighbors filled a board meeting on Nov. 12. The proposed AI data center wasn't on the agenda, but residents brought it up and got heated, especially after learning DTE's asking for the Michigan Public Service Commission to fast-track the project and break ground without a public hearing.
They just think we’re pushovers, they can just bully us, and a big company can just come and push us over like that," Haushalter said. "We’re worried about our groundwater. I have a well."
“At the very least, we need to have guarantees from DTE that this is not going to affect our bills," said Tammi Bruneau.
"The concerns from the township's standpoint were regulating noise," said Fred Lucas, an attorney for Saline Township. "Regulating traffic. Regulating water usage. Regulating almost every single aspect of the project."
Here are the corporate players: Related Digital is developing the AI Data Center for OpenAI and Oracle, and DTE will power the site. Attorney General Dana Nessel stepped in on the 25th, demanding a public hearing.
“My concern is that it appears as though the commission is under extraordinary political and industry pressure to ram through these special contracts for DTE without any public discovery," Nessel said.
Those behind the project, including Governor Whitmer, say it'll create 2500 temporary and 450 permanent jobs, and generate millions in annual tax dollars. DTE added that customer costs won't increase, but residents have fought it every step of the way. Initially, the township board voted against rezoning the land to industrial use, then the backing companies sued the board, which settled and rezoned.
"We also built into the agreement protections in the form of monitoring wells to make sure that the neighboring properties are not impacted by water usage," Lucas said.
There’s no recourse. They’re just pushing over people like us. It’s devastating," Haushalter said.
Residents are planning to gather at the site of the proposed center around 4 p.m. today. The next official step in the process is a virtual public hearing with the Michigan Public Service Commission. That's happening on Wednesday evening (Dec. 3), and we'll be following along.
Watch our previous coverage
