Michigan Data Center News

Jan 7, 2026

SoftBank, DigitalBridge, and Stargate: The Next Phase of OpenAI’s Infrastructure Strategy

OpenAI launched Project Stargate as a national-scale AI infrastructure orchestrator on Jan. 21, 2025, coordinating capital, land, power, and supply-chain partners to secure long-duration, frontier-scale compute.

Main announcement and commitments: OpenAI announced Project Stargate with an intention to invest up to $500 billion over 4–5 years, including $100 billion targeted for near-term deployment; by late 2025 the program had publicized multi-gigawatt site plans (4.5 GW in July; >8 GW by Oct.) and multi-hundred-billion dollar projected investments (e.g., ~$400B and $450B figures tied to U.S. site portfolios). Key named partners in implementation include Oracle, SoftBank (and DigitalBridge), Samsung, SK hynix, NVIDIA, G42, Cisco, Vantage Data Centers, and local developers.
Background, timeline, and implementation detail: The 2025 rollout focused on governance, partner alignment, and power-first site selection with sites announced in Texas (Shackelford, Milam), New Mexico (Doña Ana), Ohio (Lordstown), Wisconsin, and Michigan (Saline Township); notable implementation constraints include grid interconnection, permitting, and financing underwrites (e.g., reporting of a stalled underwriting on an ~$10 billion Michigan project). International nodes include Stargate UAE (1 GW, G42-operated) and exploratory Stargate Argentina (LOI, ~$25B, up to 500 MW).

Jan 7, 2026

Patented: Making a Degradable Ice Straw and More North Texas Inventive Activity

Prive Products of Dallas has received a newly granted U.S. patent for a system and method to make degradable drinking straws from ice, invented by Thomas Surgent (Patent No. 12484726).

Main announcement: Prive Products, LLC — Patent No. 12484726 (Application No. 17609970 filed 05/16/2020; 2026 days app to issue) — describes a system with tubes extending into a reservoir, a connecting bar delivering hot and cold fluid into the tubes, and a resulting hollow ice straw that can cool a beverage as liquid passes through the straw. The abstract states: “A system and method for making degradable drinking straws made of ice (or other frozen liquid(s)).”
Background & roundup details: Dallas-Fort Worth was ranked No. 9 among 250 metros for the week of 12/2/25 with 134 patents granted. The article is a patent roundup (announcement/summary) listing top assignees (e.g., Texas Instruments Inc. — 15 patents), notable grants (Bank of America, Dell, IBM, Verily, Lennox, Halliburton, etc.), and includes patent abstracts, assignees, inventor locations, application numbers and days from application to issue. For partnerships or deals, the article provides assignee and patent filing/issue dates but no implementation timelines beyond application and issue dates.

Jan 6, 2026

Ohio EPA reviewing data center discharge permits amid water quality concerns

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing a proposal to issue five-year permits allowing eligible data centers to discharge cooling water into Ohio’s lakes and streams.

Main action: The draft would allow eligible data centers to obtain five-year permits to release cooling water; the permit text includes a ban on discharges within 500 yards upstream of a public water intake, prohibits discharges into groundwater and lakes other than Lake Erie, and uses standard NPDES “lowering” language for new or expanded discharges. The article states a single data center can use up to half a billion gallons of water daily for cooling.
Background and details:Environmental groups (Ohio Valley Environmental Group, Ohio River Foundation) raise concerns about PFAS contamination and limited capacity at rural treatment centers to filter contaminants; the Ohio EPA responded that permits include strict limits and monitoring and that data centers are not expected to be PFAS sources. The piece notes H2Ohio does not set discharge rules, mentions Bloom Energy as an alternative technology, and provides a public comment link (https://ohioepa.commentinput.com/?id=csDN8pRrg).

Jan 5, 2026

Dell Uplevels AI Infrastructure With NVIDIA at CES

Dell Technologies has announced next-generation AI infrastructure solutions built with NVIDIA’s latest Rubin (Vera Rubin) platform at Dell Technologies World 2025.

Main announcement: Dell will expand its PowerEdge server line with the NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 platform delivering 3.6 exaflops of AI performance, 75TB of memory, and systems using the Vera Arm-based CPU (88 Custom Olympus cores, 176 threads, 1.2 TB/s memory bandwidth). Dell will also support HGX Rubin NVL8 configurations (~400 petaflops), with 2.3 TB HBM4, 176 TB/s memory bandwidth, 800 Gb/s ConnectX-9 SuperNICs, and BlueField-4 DPUs for AI factories; these announcements were made at Dell Technologies World 2025.
Background and product details: The update extends Dell’s existing PowerEdge XE9712 with NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 work (first delivery to CoreWeave). Networking advances include PowerSwitch with NVIDIA Spectrum-6 delivering 102.4 Tb/s switching capacity and support for up to 512 ports of 800G with co-packaged optics (CPO) offering stated 5x power efficiency and 10x reliability gains. Source/context includes Dell blog/press materials and an IDC infrastructure tracker citation.

Jan 5, 2026

VOICES: In Detroit’s data center moment, lead with health, water, and trust

Kathleen Slonager (Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America—Michigan Chapter) urges state and city leaders to require health-protective measures for data center approvals in Detroit.

Main action: Require independent health impact assessments before permits that cover air emissions (including generator testing), construction/operational noise, traffic and dust, and water use; mandate 24/7 clean energy procurement tied to approvals, favor closed‑loop or nonpotable water cooling where feasible, enforce strict diesel testing limits and best‑available controls, implement fence‑line and neighborhood monitors with public dashboards, and establish a responsive complaint system that documents issues and triggers timely fixes.
Background and context: This is an opinion piece published in Planet Detroit; the author frames these recommendations as affordable compared to health costs and cites ongoing Michigan data‑center debates referenced elsewhere on the site, including mentions of DTE, Consumers Energy, PJM Interconnection, Constellation Energy, Vistra, Oracle, OpenAI, and regulatory hearings at EGLE.

Jan 2, 2026

1st Friday Focus on the Environment: 2026 priorities and legislative hopes for Michigan and Washtenaw County

State Representative Jennifer Conlin discussed recent decisions and legislative priorities on data centers, water affordability and pollution accountability in Michigan.

MPSC approval & data centers: Representative Conlin noted the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved the Saline Township data center and indicated DTE must absorb potential rate increases; she signed a letter requesting closer review and public hearings. The conversation also referenced proposed centers in Augusta Township and a planned University of Michigan / Los Alamos National Laboratory supercomputing center in Ypsilanti Township.
Water affordability & polluter-pay legislation: Conlin described revived water affordability bills that would cap bills for low-income households, forgive up to $1,500 of individual water debt per year for the first two years and forgive all debt after two years of participation; she is a cosponsor of reintroduced polluter-pay bills to require more thorough cleanups and greater transparency. She cited the Tribar Technologies incident (criminal fine $200,000, five-year probation, $20,000 restitution) as background for the policy push.

Jan 1, 2026

From data centers to invasive carp: Michigan Advance’s top 2025 environmental stories

The Michigan Advance reviews its biggest environmental stories of 2025, highlighting actions on data center growth, legal battles over Enbridge’s Line 5, Flint water recovery, a nuclear plant restart, the federal “energy emergency” order, and a federally backed invasive carp project.

Main announcement/action: The article summarizes major 2025 developments including a new state law offering tax breaks for data center construction that took effect in 2025 (driving tech companies to Michigan) and prompted large resident protests at the Capitol; a bipartisan House bill to repeal data center tax breaks and a Senate proposal to bar water-withdrawal permits for entities averaging above 2,000,000 gallons per day, require the Michigan Public Service Commission to publish data center energy and water use, and prevent residents from shouldering water system upgrade costs.
Background and other details: Ongoing legal disputes over Enbridge’s Line 5 (state and federal court appeals; Army Corps EIS issued in May; Michigan Supreme Court agreed to hear permit challenges); the EPA lifted Flint’s drinking water emergency after lead-line replacement work (residents can call 810-410-1133 or email GetTheLeadOut@cityofflint.com); the Trump Administration’s Jan. 20 energy emergency order is being legally challenged by Michigan AG Dana Nessel and other states; Consumers Energy reported the J.H. Campbell coal plant extensions cost $80,000,000 between May 23 and Sept. 30 and the latest extension runs through Feb. 17, 2026; a $1.15 billion invasive carp prevention project (sponsored by Michigan, Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) was affirmed with White House support and had secured its first construction contract in Dec. 2024.

Dec 31, 2025

Issues of the Environment: The struggle over data centers in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County Resiliency Office Director Beth Gibbons discussed local concerns and planning responses to a rapid buildout of large-scale data centers following Michigan state incentives signed by Governor Whitmer. She urged strict enforcement of state renewable-energy requirements, recommended local zoning actions (including temporary moratoria where appropriate), and advocated for strong community benefit agreements.

Main announcement/action: Beth Gibbons (Washtenaw County Resiliency Office) emphasized energy consumption as the leading concern, called for enforcement that data centers meet the state requirement to use renewable energy or renewable energy credits, and recommended local governments replicate state requirements in zoning codes and consider temporary moratoria when no projects are pending. Specific local details cited include a 1.4 gigawatt data center fast-tracked in Saline Township and that Saline’s project will use an air cooling system (lower water use).
Background and other details: The discussion referenced Michigan legislation creating tax breaks and incentives for data centers (signed by Governor Whitmer in 2025), Washtenaw County’s carbon neutrality goal for 2035, concerns about water extraction/discharge and wetlands preservation, and recommended community benefit agreements to allocate tax/revenue gains to environmental protections and local needs. Beth Gibbons noted planning and land-use decisions occur primarily at the local government level, while the county handles building and health inspection.

Dec 25, 2025

Looking back on 2025: A year of reckoning for Michigan’s environment

Planet Detroit is raising $25,000 to support continued reporting on Michigan environmental issues and to expand civic tools and accountability journalism.

Fundraising & match: Planet Detroit is soliciting donations (goal: $25,000) and highlights that donations are matched dollar-for-dollar through NewsMatch through Dec. 31 (examples given: $30 becomes $60, $50 becomes $100, a new monthly donation is matched 12x so $5/month becomes $120). The organization also states a related goal to raise $10,000 and secure 50 new donors by year’s end and provides donation links (Donorbox; BridgeDetroit fundraising URL).
Reporting & documented coverage: The newsletter summarizes 2025 coverage including data center scrutiny (notes a $7 billion Saline Township data center for which DTE Energy sought fast approval and statewide data center guides), water infrastructure failures (a Feb. 2025 54-inch water main rupture in Southwest Detroit and follow-up reporting linking failures to “weather whiplash” and “thermal shock”), and sustained investigations (Wyandotte water system deficiencies, fluoridation discontinued in 2015 with a city promise for a fluoride plan by October). It lists tools built (dashboards, lead service line tracker in partnership with Safe Water Engineering) and links to key guides and dashboards.

Dec 25, 2025

Trump, AI's insatiable thirst and Mayor Johnson’s stalled ordinance top environmental stories in 2025

The Trump administration rolled back environmental protections, terminated the EPA employees’ union in Chicago, and canceled major clean-energy and methane-reduction funding.

Main actions and timeline:Trump administration actions in 2025 included ending the Chicago EPA employees’ union, launching a deregulatory campaign under EPA head Lee Zeldin that rolled back rules on water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and threatening or removing EPA inspectors, scientists and lawyers; the local union president Nicole Cantello represents around 700 workers and says she now must conduct union business outside work.
Funding and related local policy details: Trump halted almost $150 million previously promised for a rooftop solar program that helped low-income residents and canceled almost $600 million in previously promised government grants to help reduce methane emissions and improve the electric grid; concurrently, Illinois lawmakers and Mayor Brandon Johnson are dealing with rising power and water demand from AI data centers, and an environmental protection ordinance introduced in April remains stalled with negotiations not expected to wrap up soon.

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