Overview:

- DTE previously said the power contracts for the 1.4-gigawatt Saline Township data center project could be canceled without regulatory approval by Friday, Dec. 5.
- The data center's customer and developer need to start construction at the beginning of 2026, says DTE spokesperson.
- "This manufactured timeline was all a pressure tactic to rush through a heavily redacted contract that – for some reason – DTE does not want my office or the public to see," says Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

DTE Energy anticipates approval of the power contracts for a $7 billion Oracle and OpenAI data center in Saline Township on Dec. 18, the utility told investors in a business update issued Friday.

Dec. 18 is when the Michigan Public Service Commission next meets. The MPSC, which regulates DTE, met Friday and did not take up the data center electricity contracts for which the utility is seeking fast-track approval.

DTE’s move for ex parte approval of the contracts, without official hearings, sparked a public outcry and protests in Saline and outside DTE headquarters in Detroit. More than 800 people attended a Wednesday virtual hearing held by the MPSC on the data center contracts.

Protesters say the deal has a lack of transparency, the potential for hidden costs, and environmental issues.

The state utility regulator has received more than 5,000 comments on the electric contracts for the hyperscale data center, which is planned for 250 acres of a 575-acre site in Saline Township, south of Ann Arbor. A spokesperson for the MPSC declined to comment on this story.

DTE previously said the power contracts for the 1.4-gigawatt Saline Township data center project could be canceled without regulatory approval by Friday, Dec. 5.

The timeline for the project is set by the developer and customer, not DTE, the utility’s spokesperson Jill Wilmot said in a Monday email.

“The customer and developer have indicated they need to start construction at the beginning of the year to move forward with the Saline Township site,” Wilmot said.

The contracts under consideration by the MPSC contain a provision allowing the customer to terminate the deal if the agreements were not approved by Dec. 5, she said.

“However, we always knew that the contracts may not be addressed at the December 5 MPSC meeting, and the decision could be extended to a date later in the year.”

Planet Detroit contacted Related Digital, the developer of the Saline Township data center; Oracle; and OpenAI for comment on this story and the status of the data center project.

Nessel, Whitmer on opposite sides of Saline data center decision

Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is pushing for regulators to allow a contested case for the data center contracts, said in a Friday statement that DTE wanted approval by Dec. 5 before stating its deadline could be extended to Dec. 19.

“This manufactured timeline was all a pressure tactic to rush through a heavily redacted contract that – for some reason – DTE does not want my office or the public to see,” Nessel said.

“This ‘new’ deadline only became public after my office filed a notice to intervene and is precisely why we need a contested case and full public proceedings. We can’t just take DTE’s word that Michigan ratepayers won’t be left footing the bill for this data center.”

DTE has maintained that the Saline Township data center will not increase costs for the utility’s other customers.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is at odds with Nessel on the Saline Township development and said in a letter of support last week the data center will create jobs, adding that her office reviewed the project’s environmental and ratepayer protections to ensure residents are not negatively impacted.

The editorial boards of both of Detroit’s daily newspapers came out against fast-track approval of the Saline Township data center in the last week.

On Thursday, the Detroit Free Press said Whitmer should support Nessel’s request for a 90-day review of the data center contracts.

On Saturday, The Detroit News said Whitmer has “lost her credibility” in the matter, citing her appointment of Shaquila Myers to the MPSC earlier this year and DTE-linked contributions to Whitmer’s Road to Michigan’s Future nonprofit.

Planet Detroit contacted Whitmer’s office for comment on this story and the newspaper editorials.

DTE: Negotiations underway on 3 gigawatts of additional data center deals

The Saline Township data center will drive $300 million in annual affordability benefits for DTE’s existing customers once it’s “fully ramped,” DTE said in the business update released Friday.

The utility has “confidence that additional data center opportunities provide upside” to its long-term plan, the presentation said.

DTE has 3 gigawatts of data center deals in late-stage negotiations, the company said in the Friday update.

Between 2026 and 2032, DTE said it plans to add 12 gigawatts of capacity: 2.5 gigawatts of storage, including data centers; 8 gigawatts in renewables; and 1.5 gigawatts from combined cycle gas turbine generation with carbon capture and storage.

Planet Detroit reported last month on how data center power demands could trigger an “off ramp” in Michigan’s 2023 renewable energy law.

The Saline Township project will be supported by battery storage and will not require new fossil fuel generation, DTE CEO Joi Harris said on the utility’s third-quarter earnings call Oct. 30.

“Any new data center load that we bring on after this 1.4 gigawatts will require additional resources,” Harris said, adding that a project in the 1-gigawatt range would require a “combined cycle,” referring to a combined cycle gas plant.

Read Planet Detroit’s Guides to data centers and the MPSC.

🗳️ What’s next? Tips for civic action

Why it matters
⚡ Opponents of a proposal to fast-track approval of an Oracle and Open AI data center in Saline Township say it could impact DTE Energy customers’ utility bills, which the utility denies. Supporters of the project like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer say it will create thousands of temporary construction jobs, hundreds of permanent jobs, and bring tax dollars to local communities.
Data center power demands could make it more difficult for the state to meet its climate goals, depending on what generation sources are used.

Who’s making civic decisions
🏛️ The Michigan Public Service Commission, the state utility regulator, will consider DTE’s filing for the Saline data center and could allow for a contested case in which testimony can be submitted. Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will decide on a wetland permit for the facility.

How to take civic action now

  • 📅 Attend  the MPSC’s next regular meeting from 1-2 p.m. on Dec. 18 in person at the Michigan Public Service Commission, 7109 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing, Michigan, 48917 in person or via videoconference.
    At 6 p.m. on Dec. 18, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will hold a virtual hearing on a permit application for the Saline data center’s proposed wetland, stream, and floodplain impacts. To attend the online hearing, register at https://bit.ly/WRD121825.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. To join by phone, call 855-758-1310 and use meeting ID 841 0513 8539 #.  
  • 🌱 Follow the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and Citizens Utility Board of Michigan for advocates’ viewpoints on MPSC activities.
  • 📩 Email the MPSC at LARA-MPSC-commissioners@michigan.gov. Public comments can be made to EGLE on the agency’s public notice webpage for the wetland permit.
  • ✉️ Mail the Michigan Public Service Commission, PO Box 30221, Lansing, MI 48909
  • 📣 Ask the commission if it will open DTE’s filing for the Saline Township data center as a contested case.

What to watch for next
🗓️ The MPSC holds its next meeting on Dec. 18, in person and virtually at 1 p.m., where it could make a decision on DTE’s application.

Civic impact
🌍 Following and engaging with Michigan’s utility regulator is one way residents can influence the impact data centers have in the state.

⭐️ Please let us know what action you took or if you have any additional questions. Please send a quick email to connect@planetdetroit.org.

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Dustin Blitchok brings extensive editorial leadership experience, having served as an editor at Benzinga and Metro Times, and got his start in journalism at The Oakland Press. As a longtime Detroit resident and journalist, he has covered a wide range of public interest stories, including criminal justice and government accountability.