Oracle, OpenAI, Related Digital, and Blackstone are proceeding with the Stargate AI data center project in Michigan despite significant local opposition. The facility, located in Saline Township, is moving forward after a legal battle that ended in a settlement following a rezoning rejection by the township board.
Facility will draw massive electricity from DTE Energy to power advanced AI models
The massive infrastructure project will consume 1.4 Gigawatts of electricity supplied by DTE Energy. Its total investment has risen to $16 billion, more than doubling the original $7 billion estimate cited at the initial announcement. The site spans approximately 1,000 acres, with 750 acres preserved as open space, farmland, and wetlands.
Related Digital claims the arrangement will generate $300 million in savings for existing DTE ratepayers. The company also states that the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system and that its ongoing water consumption will be comparable to that of a standard office building. No explanation has been provided for the sharp increase in project costs.
At least 19 Michigan municipalities have enacted moratoriums on new data center development in response to the project. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and House Speaker Matt Hall have publicly opposed a proposed statewide one-year pause on data center construction. Residents have expressed concerns that the developers moved quickly to prevent community challenges.
The facility is scheduled for an announcement in February 2026. It remains unclear why the budget jumped from $7 billion to $16 billion. Local opposition continues to shape the regulatory landscape for large-scale AI infrastructure in the region.
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