SALINE TWP., Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan’s newest cash crop? Cloud computing.
Oracle and OpenAI are planning a sprawling data-center campus in Saline Township. It’s a project expected to draw more electricity than DTE Energy Co. currently sends across the entire state and usher AI development into farm country.
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The build starts in 2026, assuming the Michigan Public Service Commission signs off. It follows months of tension with locals, including a lawsuit threat over rezoning before the township board finally backed down.
“This historic, multi-billion-dollar investment will ensure Michigan plays a leading role,” Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related Companies and Chairman of Related Digital, said in a statement.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called it the “largest economic project in Michigan history,” promising 2,500 union construction jobs and 450 permanent tech jobs, plus bragging rights in the AI race.
The “hyperscale” campus will require roughly 1.4 gigawatts of power—about 25% more than DTE provides today.
DTE says regular customers won’t see higher bills, noting the project will use a closed-loop cooling system and privately funded battery storage. Environmental groups remain unconvinced, however.
“Data centers … can pose a threat to our neighborhoods, economy, energy bills, water, and climate without proper guardrails,” Sierra Club Michigan lobbyist Tim Minotas said in a statement.
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Notably, Michigan has already rolled out the legal red carpet for projects like this, offering long-term tax breaks for data-center equipment and rules aimed at preventing utilities from pushing new power costs onto regular customers.
On the ground, Some locals say they’re adjusting to the change.
“It’s a beautiful property,” Ronald Kohler, a township planning commissioner who knows the family that sold the land, said. “It is what it is. We’ll deal with it. I think it will be good for the community.”