After a $16 billion Stargate AI data center was built despite being voted down, Michigan towns rush to block new buildouts — massive facility will suck 1.4 Gigawatts of energy to power ChatGPT
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Background
A developer sued a township after OpenAI and Oracle’s massive new Stargate data center—projected to consume 1.4 GW of electricity—was approved despite a local vote to reject it. The facility, valued at $16 billion, is now under construction, prompting backlash across Michigan.
Legal Battle
- In September, Saline Township’s board voted 4‑1 to reject Related Digital’s rezoning request for the data center.
- The developer filed a lawsuit within two days, alleging exclusionary zoning.
- The township settled the case within weeks, allowing the project to move forward.
Community Benefits
Residents secured roughly $14 million in community benefits, including:
- Funding for the local fire department
- Farmland preservation initiatives
- Environmental restrictions on the site
“I think the plan was to move as fast as possible—so by the time anyone challenged it, they could say it was too far along to stop,” — resident quoted by Forbes【source】.
Wider Backlash
Since the Saline project’s approval, at least 19 Michigan municipalities have enacted moratoriums on new data‑center development. The controversy has expanded to:
- County resolutions opposing similar facilities
- Bipartisan state legislation aimed at tighter oversight of large‑scale data‑center projects
- A regional water authority refusing to supply water to proposed data‑center sites
These actions reflect growing concern over the environmental and infrastructural impact of megawatt‑scale AI data centers.