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Michigan Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Michigan — updated daily.
Michigan · Construction & power moves · 5
full tracker →Land, power, and interconnection moves across Michigan — each traced to primary filings.
Recent Michigan data center news
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GM Bets on Sodium-Ion Batteries, Expands Grid Storage and V2G Plans
General Motors has announced an expansion into grid-scale energy storage, including a partnership with Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion battery systems, imminent LFP cell production with LG Energy Solution, second-life battery deployments, and scaled V2G programmes with utilities.
- Partnership & production: GM is partnering with Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion grid-scale battery systems with development at its battery R&D centre in Warren, Michigan; GM and LG Energy Solution will begin producing Ultium-branded LFP cells within the next month to support lower-cost storage applications.
- Deployments & timelines: GM and Redwood Materials have integrated around 10,000 second-life GM battery packs into energy systems (including at Crusoe’s AI data centre in Nevada); GM will install about 100 second-life battery packs at a Michigan manufacturing facility starting next year (providing 7.2 MWh and projected to generate more than USD 3 million in electricity savings over its lifetime). The company is working with PG&E on a programme that could involve 130,000 GM EVs by 2030 and is conducting V2G trials with DTE Energy.
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New York Confronts the Data Center Boom: Balancing Growth and Grid Reform
Democratic legislators introduced a bill for a three-year moratorium on new large data centers, and Governor Kathy Hochul directed the New York State Public Service Commission to open a regulatory proceeding to reform large-load interconnections.
- Three-year moratorium introduced by Democratic legislators: The bill would freeze state and local approvals for any new data center exceeding 20 MW for three years, require the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a comprehensive environmental review and issue regulations, and direct the state utility regulator to adopt rules preventing residential ratepayers from shouldering energy cost increases attributable to data centers.
- Governor Hochul directed PSC to institute a proceeding under “Energize NY Development”: The PSC issued an Order Instituting Proceeding and Soliciting Comments (Case 26-E-0045) noting 11.9 GW of pending large-load projects in the NYISO queue (more than 8.3 GW entered in 2025); the Order lists six core objectives and sets initial comments due May 13, 2026 and reply comments due June 15, 2026, with a technical conference by Dec 31, 2026 and a white paper due Feb 12, 2027.
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Behind-the-meter data center gas plants will raise US energy bills
Energy Innovation authors Jeffrey Rissman and Eric Gimon argue that data centers building on-site natural-gas power plants will raise energy prices for U.S. households and businesses and that policymakers should require data centers to supply their own clean on-site electricity.
- Main announcement/action: The authors call for a “bring your own clean energy” mandate so data centers do not rely on on-site natural-gas plants; they cite concrete capacity examples including a Richland Parish, LA facility using ~2.2 GW, a Cheyenne-area project with a 1.8 GW first phase designed to scale to 10 GW, and a BloombergNEF finding that ~100 GW of on-site gas capacity is planned for U.S. data centers. The piece urges that data centers instead deploy wind/solar + batteries and enhanced geothermal to provide firm, fuel-free power.
- Background and supporting details: The article documents that combined-cycle gas turbines are back-ordered 5–7 years, forcing use of inefficient turbines that increase pollution (citing an xAI Clean Air Act lawsuit), and describes policy tools to implement the proposal including “permit-by-rule”, pre-authorized renewable zones (Texas CREZ, Nevada Solar Energy Zones, Arizona Renewable Energy Incentive Districts), and mentions state laws that streamline permitting (Michigan HB 5120, Illinois HB 4412). It also gives examples of companies already using clean on-site supply (Google: 1.6 GW wind+solar with 300 MW battery; Amazon: 1.2 GW solar + equal battery storage).
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From Tail Risk to Design Baseline: How the Grid Is Adapting to Extreme Heat
POWER (Sonal Patel) reports that system planners and grid operators are now treating extreme heat as an assumed operating condition rather than a tail risk.
- Main announcement/action: POWER summarizes that system planners and reliability entities (notably NERC and FERC) and operators are treating extreme heat as a design baseline, citing metrics such as EIA projection of ~1,610 CDDs for 2026 (4% above 2025), NERC’s 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment (net internal demand up 1.3% to 790 GW, and >58 GW of new on-peak capacity including 16.4 GW solar, 14.7 GW batteries, 6.7 GW natural gas, 1.6 GW wind), and FERC’s forecast of $46.81/MWh average wholesale price for summer 2026. The piece catalogues operational changes (hourly ambient-adjusted transmission ratings, dynamic line ratings pilots, ADMS/DERMS deployments) and emergency interventions (DOE Section 202(c) orders covering roughly 4,400 MW of extended capacity service).
- Background and details: The article documents drought risks (FERC: 62% of continental U.S. impacted; Lake Powell inflow forecast at 13% of average), potential loss of up to 4,500 MW of Colorado River hydropower as soon as August 2026, rapid data center load growth (from 44 GW in 2025 to 55 GW in 2026, ~25%), and operational timelines (PJM implemented AAR on March 4, 2026; SPP expects AAR by Sept. 1, 2026; MISO full compliance by Q2 2028).
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Data center news: Detroit takes responsible approach to data centers, Benson says
Detroit City Councilmember Scott Benson announced the council-approved moratorium resolution to build a stronger regulatory framework for data center development in Detroit.
- Main announcement: The council-approved moratorium resolution created a stakeholder group (labor, business, sustainability advocates) to draft a zoning ordinance by end of 2026; Benson emphasized no increase in utility bills for residents and community-driven local control for development.
- Additional details/background:GOP state Sen. Jim Runestad introduced bills for a one-year statewide moratorium (may not receive a committee hearing); Erin Brockovich launched a national interactive tracking map for operational/under-construction/proposed facilities; Google granted $250,000 to the Huron River Watershed Council while planning a 1.5-million-square-foot Michigan data center that will draw 2–3.65 million gallons daily from the Great Lakes Water Authority.
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Allen Park planners reject proposed data center: ‘We’re gonna celebrate with one eye open’
The Allen Park Planning Commission voted 7-2 to deny approval for a 26-megawatt Solstice Data center and recommended a six-month moratorium on data center developments.
- Main action: The Planning Commission denied preliminary site plan approval for the Solstice Data facility (26 MW) citing zoning noncompliance, missing information, inadequate engineering studies, and an insufficient sound study; the commission also passed a resolution recommending a six-month moratorium on data center developments to allow the city to draft ordinance language covering water use, noise, and trucking. The City Council could consider the moratorium as soon as next week.
- Background and next steps: Developers (Solstice Data) say the project can be built “by right” if zoning rules are met and indicated plans to return with a revised site plan on Aug. 6; the moratorium is intended to produce an ordinance addressing resource use and impacts. Nearby and regional actions include an EGLE virtual public hearing (Jun 16, 2026, 6:00 PM) for a Van Buren Township data center (Application No. HQH-Q48N-1818Y) and an MPSC commission meeting on Jun 11, 2026, 1:00 PM (public comment opportunities).
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Google commits to replenish more water than it uses by 2030
Google announced a goal to replenish more water than it uses by 2030 and committed $17 million to water stewardship projects across seven U.S. states.
- Main announcement: Google committed to replenish more water than it uses by 2030, is investing $17 million in new water stewardship projects across Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas, and is reviewing 700+ RFI submissions to identify early-concept projects eligible for co-funding that can come online before 2030. The announcement was published in a company blog (June 3) by Google leaders Bikash Koley and Ben Townsend, and Google reported replenishing over 7 billion gallons in 2025 and expects to replenish over 19 billion gallons by 2030 through its stewardship projects.
- Background and implementation details: Google currently has 165 water stewardship projects across 97 watersheds and pledged to help local utilities modernize infrastructure, report annual water consumption, and use air cooling or recycled/alternative water in at-risk areas (noting Google states water cooling uses ~10% less energy than air cooling). Google joined the Data Center Innovation Initiative with Amazon, Meta and Microsoft to pilot sustainable data center technologies. Independent findings cited include Berkeley Lab data on U.S. data center water use (66 billion liters direct in 2023; 60–124 billion liters projected direct use by 2028 for hyperscale centers; ~800 billion liters indirect via electricity in 2023), and reports from Ceres and WRI on uneven corporate progress and global water stress.
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Google signs 100MW distributed energy resource VPP agreement with Voltus for PJM
Voltus and Google announced a three-year agreement to aggregate up to 100MW of distributed energy resources (DERs) each year into a Google-funded virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM region.
- Main announcement: Voltus will aggregate up to 100MW of DERs each year from local businesses and homes into a Google-funded VPP in PJM under a three-year agreement; Voltus will pay participating customers, described as “turning Google’s capacity demand into real economic benefits for PJM customers.”
- Background and related details:PJM covers parts of 13 US states and the District of Columbia and contains Virginia’s “Data Centre Alley”; the article references an ESC study projecting +16GW by 2028 and +30GW by 2032 of summer peak growth, and notes other Google-related projects including a DTE agreement (1,600MW solar + 450MW storage) and Xcel/Form Energy 30GWh iron-air deployment at a Google site; it also cites Lightshift Energy deploying distribution-scale batteries in Virginia as an alternative approach.
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Top 10 countries by uranium production
DevelopmentAid published a comprehensive summary of global uranium production, reserves, prices and recent market developments, highlighting producers, price movements and large corporate PPAs and government funding for SMRs.
- Main announcement/action: The article reports current production and reserve data (e.g., world recoverable resources 7.9 million tU, world production 60,213 tU in 2024, Kazakhstan 23,270 tU in 2024), recent price spikes to US$101.41/lb (Jan 2026) then back to ~US$85.50/lb (Feb 5, 2026), and major industry developments including Meta securing up to 6.6 GW of nuclear by 2035, Amazon signing a 1.9 GW PPA with Talen Energy, and DOE awarding US$400M each to TVA and Holtec for SMR projects.
- Background and details: The article aggregates sources (World Nuclear Association, IEA, Investing News, World Nuclear News) and provides production method breakdown (conventional mining 44%, in-situ leach 52%, by-product 4%), national export/import patterns (e.g., Canada exports ~64% to the Americas), projected Kazakhstan output (27,000–29,000 tU by 2026), and cited timelines for corporate deals and government funding (PPAs through 2035, DOE SMR funding as reported in 2026).
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Data center developers ousted from Monterey Park as voters approve permanent ban
Monterey Park has permanently banned data centers via Measure NDC.
- Measure NDC approved: More than 86% of voters approved a permanent ban on data centers in Monterey Park, codifying a moratorium in effect since late January; the ban bars any new computing facilities inside city limits and can only be overturned by another citywide vote. Key local facts: city population ~62,000, a proposed 250,000-square-foot data center by HMC Capital had its application withdrawn in April.
- Context and background: The article documents broader regional and state-level resistance — mentions a massive Box Elder County project backed by investor Kevin O’Leary, states that have introduced moratoriums or bans (Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont), and notes Maine’s legislature passed a statewide moratorium bill that was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills.