State regulators heard Wednesday from Michigan residents demanding more scrutiny of the plan to provide electricity to a proposed data center in rural Washtenaw County.
DTE Electric has asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to fast-track approval for its plan to power the data center. That would bypass a process called a "contested case" that requires the commission to consider evidence and testimony from a variety of sources.
DTE has said it expects the facility to increase its current peak electrical load by about 25%, but building out the capacity to accommodate that demand would not affect current ratepayers. The utility said it's reached contracts with the companies behind the data center that would protect current customers from subsidizing the project.
Nichole Biber, a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to probe DTE’s claims. "These meaningful guardrails, from what I've heard so far, are all on the assurances of DTE and the multibillion dollar corporations that are pushing AI and data centers on us. That does not reassure me," she said.
Most of the participants at the online hearing said they wanted more transparency around the project.
Cody Gilbert of Cadillac also spoke at the hearing, voicing concern about how the data center would affect the state’s goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050.
"A project that uses thousands of gallons of water and tons of electricity, enough for thousands of homes is is not advancing that goal," Gilbert said.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer submitted a comment urging the commission to approve plans for the project. She called it "the largest business investment in Michigan’s history"
"Time is of the essence," Whitmer said. "China is moving aggressively to build their own centers and get a leg up on America. At the same time, other states are moving fast too, competing against Michigan to land similar projects with far less oversight."
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