We won’t sugarcoat it. 2025 was tough: for Michigan communities facing down data centers, bursting pipes, drinking water threats, flooding and industrial pollution, and for our small newsroom working to cover it all. Despite the challenges, 2025 reinforced why independent environmental journalism matters. We produced groundbreaking work on data centers before it was mainstream. We […]
Posted inData Centers
Data center news: Feds request rules on data centers colocated with gas, nuclear power plants
The request to PJM Interconnection, an electric grid operator in the eastern U.S., is a “major victory” for companies like Constellation Energy and Vistra.
Posted inCommunity
VOICES: Why Michigan’s data center fight is really about who gets to decide
In Saline Township, residents voiced concerns over a data center project, citing risks to water, energy, and pollution. Despite their engagement, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved the project, risking failure in public trust.
Posted inData Centers
Data center is threat to Saline River, residents say in wetlands hearing
Pollution from closed-loop cooling systems, wetland destruction are among the issues aired at EGLE hearing on Oracle, OpenAI data center’s wetland permit.
Posted inNews
What we’re reading: Ford takes $19.5 billion hit in shift from EVs to battery storage
Ford is dissolving its SK On battery joint venture, laying off 1,600 Kentucky workers while creating 2,100 jobs producing energy storage systems for data centers and utilities.
Posted inData Centers
Live recap: Data centers and local power in Michigan
In Michigan, rural communities are grappling with the impact of major tech companies proposing large-scale data centers, raising critical questions about energy consumption, water use, and who truly benefits from tax incentives.
Posted inData Centers
DTE Energy’s Saline data center contracts win quick state approval, despite uproar
The $7 billion, 1.4 gigawatt Oracle and OpenAI data center is planned for 575 acres of farmland south of Ann Arbor.
Posted inNews
Can Ford’s battery pivot power its future as EV sales stall?
Ford’s $20 billion write-down marks a retreat from EVs, but a $2 billion investment in grid storage signals a strategic shift. The Kentucky plant will pivot to producing lithium iron phosphate cells, impacting workers and reshaping the local economy.
Posted inNews
State renews Detroit hazardous waste facility’s license, adds new restrictions: ‘Our community efforts have made a difference’
In the lead-up to the state’s decision, neighbors, elected officials, and environmental activists advocated for the closure of US Ecology Detroit South.
Posted inNews
Michigan’s data center tax breaks: Will lawmakers succeed in repealing them?
Michigan lawmakers are challenging tax incentives for data centers, as residents voice concerns about environmental impacts and energy demands.