Michigan Data Center Intel

Recent Michigan data center news

• Jul 10, 2026

  Lightpath to provide fiber infrastructure for two new hyperscale data center campuses

  Lightpath has announced it will provide fiber infrastructure and multi-terabit capacity to support two hyperscale data center campuses under construction in the United States.

  • The two campuses are planned to exceed one gigawatt each and are located in Saline, Michigan and Port Washington, Wisconsin.
  • The Saline build is scheduled for delivery by the end of this year, while Port Washington is expected in Q2 2027; both are being delivered with an anchor hyperscale customer that was not named.
  • Chris Morley said Lightpath is partnering with hyperscalers to build new fiber infrastructure for AI-driven demand; Tim Haverkate said the company will deliver route-diverse, multi-terabit capacity across new construction, existing network assets, and partner fiber.
• Jul 10, 2026

  US-based BESS companies Peak Energy, ESS Inc and Unigrid aim to commercialise sodium-ion in US, Europe

  Peak Energy, ESS Tech Inc, and Unigrid have announced new sodium-ion energy storage manufacturing, product launches, and deployment milestones in the US and Europe.

  • Peak Energy selected Sacramento, California for a new Na-ion BESS manufacturing facility announced 8 July, targeting up to 4GWh annually and US$71 million in capital investment.
  • The project is expected to create 239 local jobs over 18 months; Peak also cited a US$10.5 million CalCompetes tax credit awarded in May 2026 and earlier phased deals including up to 4.75GWh with Jupiter Power.
  • ESS Tech Inc launched the ESS Bridge, a 1.2MWh modular Na-ion BESS for utilities, AI-driven data centres, critical infrastructure operators, and C&I customers; it can scale to 4.8MWh in the same footprint as a traditional 20-foot container.
  • Unigrid announced first deliveries of its Na+Casa residential BESS, rated at 9.25kWh, with installations in Europe and US availability expected by end of 2026 pending compliance requirements.
• Jul 9, 2026

  Can Growing Community Backlash Quiet the AI Data Center Boom?

  The article reports that organized opposition to US data center development is growing rapidly as AI infrastructure buildouts accelerate, with new survey and tracking data suggesting community acceptance is becoming a major site-selection factor.

  • DataCenterOpposition.com says it now tracks 430 local groups opposing data center projects in more than 40 states, up from 268 in April and about 76 at end-2025; the groups are estimated to represent more than 525,000 members.
  • The piece also cites Data Center Watch reporting opponents blocked or delayed at least 75 projects representing roughly $130 billion in Q1 2026; in Virginia, QTS ended its Prince William Digital Gateway pursuit and the Dulles South Innovation Center proposal collapsed after permitting, political, and community opposition.
• Jul 9, 2026

  Officials in Elk River, Minnesota, deny data center application, consider moratorium

  Elk River officials have rejected a zoning amendment for Swervo Development Corp. affiliate Elk River Capital’s proposed 33MW data center and are considering a one-year moratorium on new data centers.

  • The Elk River City Council voted against an ordinance amendment for the project at 19178 Industrial Blvd NW, which would have converted an existing 60,000-square-foot industrial building into a 33MW data center in the city’s light industrial zone.
  • The council still needs to vote on a conditional use permit, but has indicated it will likely deny it; the planning commission had already recommended denial in June, and city staff were asked to draft a one-year moratorium on new data centers.
  • The facility was set to be operated by Irongate Data Centers; Swervo-related projects mentioned in the article include sites in Woodbury and Detroit, plus an Eagan colocation conversion facing a separate moratorium and lawsuit.
• Jul 8, 2026

  Patented: Topgolf’s Newest Award and More Inventions Across North Texas

  Dallas Invents has reported a weekly roundup of patents granted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, highlighting Topgolf’s new patent among other local assignees and inventors.

  • Topgolf International, Inc. received U.S. Patent No. 12649095 for a Galton configuration in golf ball receiving apparatus and systems that uses RFID tags and an antenna reader to identify golf balls while avoiding jams.
  • The article is a news roundup/commentary on patent activity, not a first-time corporate announcement; it also lists other grants to entities including Texas Instruments, Toyota, Samsung, Bank of America, Citibank, USAA, Halliburton, and Akamai.
• Jul 8, 2026

  Honda-LG ES begin ESS cell production at retooled Ohio EV cell facility

  L-H Battery Company has announced the commencement of lithium-ion cell production at its Jeffersonville, Ohio plant, shifting initial output from EV cells to stationary energy storage system applications.

  • Production began this month at the Jeffersonville, Ohio facility after a construction and workforce development effort that started when the JV was established in 2023.
  • The plant was originally conceived for EV cells but is now focused on ESS applications; LG ES Vertech will integrate the first cells into complete ESS solutions, and the company says the batteries will serve residential, commercial and industrial, and utility grid markets.
  • Local reporting had claimed the plant would make batteries for AI data centre-specific ESS solutions; Caroline Ramsey said that was “just not accurate.”
  • The article also places the announcement in the context of broader US battery manufacturing shifts, including Panasonic, LG ES, Ultium Cells, Samsung SDI, SK On, Ford Energy, and Peak Energy.
• Jul 7, 2026

  Manure-to-energy projects eye data centres as new market, raising environmental concerns

  The article explains that manure-based biogas is being used and promoted as a renewable energy source for data centres and cryptocurrency mining, while critics warn it may reinforce factory-farm expansion.

  • Ag-Grid Energy operates a project at Lent Hill Dairy Farm in Steuben County, New York, where two anaerobic co-digesters convert manure from around 4,000 cows and more than 45,000 gallons of food waste per day into renewable natural gas (RNG) used to power an on-site cryptocurrency mining facility.
  • The company says it also plans to support small-scale data centres in rural areas with on-site power generation and fibre-optic connectivity; the article adds that Vanguard Renewables operates or develops more than 50 co-digesters in the US and aims for more than 100 by end-2028, while biogas projects have received over $150 million from the Inflation Reduction Act and more than $100 million in private bonds approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund.
• Jul 6, 2026

  DTE power outages in 2026: What you need to know about reliability, bill credits, and rate hikes

  DTE Energy is facing renewed scrutiny after a major storm outage while it seeks a new rate increase and continues to link its future revenue needs to large data centers.

  • Main action: DTE reported that more than 320,000 customers lost power during July 4 weekend storms, with some restorations delayed until late Wednesday; customers out for 96+ hours are to receive $42 per day in automatic bill credits.
  • Background/details: The Michigan Public Service Commission is reviewing DTE’s $474.3 million rate case, with a decision expected in early 2027; the article also says DTE’s rate story is tied in part to serving the 1.4-gigawatt Oracle and OpenAI hyperscale data center in Washtenaw County’s Saline Township and that the utility plans to spend $30 billion from 2026 to 2030.
• Jun 30, 2026

  The 250-year history of U.S. energy consumption

  The U.S. Energy Information Administration published an explainer on the 250-year history of U.S. energy consumption.

  • The article summarizes how U.S. energy use shifted from wood in the 18th and 19th centuries to petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydropower, wind, solar, and biofuels by 2025.
  • It notes that in 2025 U.S. total energy use was 96 quads, up 2% from 2024, and that fossil fuels still accounted for 82% of energy consumed.
  • The piece also states that electricity demand is expected to grow faster than any time since 2000 through the end of 2027, mostly because of data centers; it also references EV electricity consumption of 24 billion kWh in 2025.
• Jun 29, 2026

  Lawmakers push data center accountability as Michigan prepares for midterms

  The Michigan Legislature has introduced bills to pause data center approvals until April 1, 2027 and to impose new transparency and cost-bearing requirements on data center projects.

  • Main action: The bills would pause approvals until April 1, 2027, require data centers to cover the full cost of their electricity, mandate community benefits agreements, regulate water usage, and require noise studies; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she will not sign a statewide moratorium but supports stricter regulations. Key project cited: the 1.4‑gigawatt Oracle and OpenAI facility in Saline Township, whose DTE Energy power contracts have been appealed by Attorney General Dana Nessel to the MPSC.
  • Background and details: More than 50 Michigan municipalities have passed temporary moratoria while officials study impacts; Michigan House Democrats introduced a bipartisan package in February to moratorium approvals until April 1, 2027; a related MPSC commission meeting is scheduled for July 16, 2026; the article references an Ohio decision that paused a tax exemption after finding it cost the state $1.5 billion in tax revenue.