Michigan environmental news: DTE plans 2 gigawatts in data center deals by year’s end

➡️ DTE eyes 2 more gigawatts of data center demand DTE Energy plans to announce new data center deals by year’s end, with developers needing 2 gigawatts in “advanced discussions” and 3-4 more possible later, The Detroit News reports. The utility’s new long-range plan proposes two natural gas plants costing $6.4 billion, which environmental groups say may be tied to data center demand and could raise ratepayer costs. DTE and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce say the plants replace retiring coal capacity. Regulators placed cost conditions on DTE’s approved data center contracts. 📌 Source: The Detroit News

➡️ Fall allergy season overlaps with cold, flu season in Michigan Ragweed is the main fall allergen in Michigan, and it peaks around mid-October, the Detroit Free Press reports. Pollen counts are forecast to be low to low-medium into early next week. Allergy season overlaps with cold and flu season, which runs October to March. Allergy symptoms can last months and often involve clear mucus, while viral infections last one to two weeks and bring chills, aches, or fever. Mayo Clinic recommends staying indoors on windy days, showering after outdoor time, and starting medication early. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press

➡️ Blue Cross Blue Shield disputes Nessel’s allegation of ‘uncompetitive’ insurance market Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that says the insurer operates an illegal monopoly and conspires with network insurers to fix prices. The complaint says BCBSM controls about 65% of Michigan health insurance products and 79% of the PPO market. The company says it was “blindsided,” has not been served, and “fundamentally” disagrees with accusations of an uncompetitive market. The suit seeks hundreds of millions of dollars and a court order. 📌 Source: WDIV-TV

➡️ Kresge’s Marygrove move includes $180 million for neighborhood The Kresge Foundation is detailing plans for its move to Detroit’s Marygrove campus, where construction of a 70,000-square-foot headquarters is expected to begin in the spring, WXYZ-TV reports. Officials describe the building as a community hub with meeting and gathering space. Campus plans include a playground, basketball court, pathways, and quad. Kresge is directing $180 million over five years toward nearby neighborhoods, including grants the Live6 Alliance redistributed to 15 community groups, and support for home repair programs. 📌 Source: WXYZ-TV

➡️ Detroit People’s Food Co-op asks for support after wildfire smoke, outage Detroit People’s Food Co-op, a Black-led, community-owned grocery on Woodward Avenue, is asking for community support after a difficult summer, CBS Detroit reports. Wildfire smoke from Canada kept shoppers away, and a power outage caused a wall of coolers to collapse, costing the store days of operation and thousands of dollars in product. The co-op, in business about two years old after roughly 15 years of planning, says donations from podcasters and community shopping days have helped. General manager Aaron Orr says finances remain a weekly battle. 📌 Source: CBS Detroit

➡️ Faux Sterling Heights house tackles sewer smells A $5.3-million facility in Sterling Heights, built to resemble a two-story brick house, treats foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas from a deep sewer line, MLive reports. The gas also corrodes concrete pipes in the Oakland-Macomb system. The odor control structure contains a fan that draws air through activated carbon. Macomb County officials say the facility ended years of odor complaints and was completed without a rate increase. Macomb plans another odor control site near 15 Mile and Schoenherr roads, with construction tentatively beginning in 2027. 📌 Source: MLive