At the Edge of Approval: Michigan’s Data Center Reckoning

How escalating pressure around Stargate, rural backlash, and billion-dollar commitments are reshaping Michigan’s AI transition.

The Transition Monitor — Michigan Edition — November 28, 2025

Reporting from the edge of the algorithmic frontier.

Displacement

Kalkaska 1 GW Data Center Cancelled: Rocklocker LLC abandoned its 1 GW proposal on 1,440 acres of DNR land after state denial of the land sale, organized community opposition, and escalating threats toward developers. Transition Strength: 5. (DNR statements, local reporting)

Ypsilanti Township Pushback Intensifies: U-M/Los Alamos project faces heavy community and municipal resistance; Ypsilanti City Council unanimously opposed, and alternative ACM site is under evaluation. Construction delayed to 2027. Transition Strength: 3. (Township records, council resolution)

Howell Township Opposition Organizing: “Stop the Data Centers Livingston County” ramps up organizing following confirmation that Meta is the developer; moratorium seen as potentially non-applicable to Meta’s existing proposal. Transition Strength: 3. (Township meeting notes)

North Impact: Kalkaska cancellation removes pressure on local DNR-managed forests and rural electrical infrastructure.

Deployment

Stargate (Saline Township) Pre-Construction Visible: Equipment staging and perimeter fencing now on the 575-acre site despite pending MPSC approval (Case U-21990). DTE load would rise ~25% if approved. Transition Strength: 4. (Local observation, MPSC filing)

Deep Green Lansing Vote Set for Dec. 2: Downtown 24 MW facility with district-heat integration scheduled for Planning Commission vote; appears to face minimal resistance compared to rural sites. Transition Strength: 3. (City agenda)

Switch Expansion Operational: Switch’s latest Grand Rapids–area expansion completed in Spring 2025, part of eventual 320 MW build-out. Transition Strength: 3. (Utility filings)

North Impact: No direct deployment today; however, Lansing and Saline load growth may eventually influence statewide capacity planning and MISO North/South transmission balancing.

Performance

Closed-Loop Cooling Becomes Standard: Stargate and Deep Green both confirm no Great Lakes withdrawals—marking a shift toward water-minimal designs in high-load campuses. Transition Strength: 3. (Project documents)

Utility Load Forecasts Tighten: Consumers’ 9 GW pipeline and DTE’s 4.4 GW queue highlight system stress; forecasted demand growth now exceeds 2022 peak system loads. Transition Strength: 3. (Utility IRP references, earnings calls)

Investment

Stargate’s Capital Stack Clarified: $7B+ project includes $2B dedicated to onsite battery storage and ~$500M in new transmission. 2,500 construction jobs and 450+ permanent roles. Transition Strength: 5. (Case U-21990)

Meta Howell Becomes Multi-Billion Prospect: Trustee confirmation locks in Meta as developer for the 1,000+ acre site; would become largest taxpayer in Livingston County. Transition Strength: 4. (Township statements)

Consumers Energy 1 GW Customer: Agreement from July 2025 still undisclosed; acknowledged in filings as part of long-term load increase through the 2030s. Transition Strength: 3. (Regulatory filings)

North Impact: Loss of the Kalkaska project removes a potential several-hundred-million-dollar northern capital infusion, shifting investment back toward SE-MI and the I-96/I-94 corridors.

Policy

MPSC Completes Dec. 3 Hearing on Stargate: Attorney General Nessel formally intervenes, calling DTE’s request for ex parte approval a “rush job,” pushing for a contested case. Contract deadline: Dec. 5. Transition Strength: 5. (MPSC Case U-21990)

DTE Large-Load Tariff Still Shaping Pipeline: Consumers’ new tariff (U-21859) sets strict exit fees, 80% minimum demand, and 15-year contracts—now influencing data-center siting negotiations statewide. Transition Strength: 4. (Commission order)

Howell Moratorium Approved: Six-month pause enacted Nov. 20, though applicability to Meta’s active proposal remains uncertain. Transition Strength: 3. (Township board action)

Culture

Kalkaska Backlash Turns Hostile: Death threats reported by Rocklocker staff underscore escalating community tensions around rural siting. Transition Strength: 5. (Developer statements)

Ypsilanti Skepticism Toward U-M: Public sentiment hardened by concerns over tax-exempt status and federal-classified partnership with Los Alamos. Transition Strength: 3. (Township forums)

Saline Hearing Shows Rare Alliance: AG, environmental groups, labor, ratepayer groups (ABATE), and residents all raised concerns in Dec. 3 MPSC hearing—an unusual coalition in utility cases. Transition Strength: 4. (Hearing transcript)

Today’s Story

Michigan’s data-center surge hit an inflection point this week: one major rural project collapsed under community resistance while the state’s largest—Stargate—pressed ahead with equipment on the ground before regulators have ruled. The architecture of approval is shifting from rural zoning boards to the MPSC’s virtual hearing rooms, where Attorney General Nessel’s intervention now threatens the industry’s expectation of rapid, ex parte approvals. Urban projects like Lansing’s Deep Green are riding calmer waters, suggesting that footprint, water use, and public benefit shape acceptance more than megawatts alone. The landscape feels bifurcated: mega-campuses pushing the grid to its limits, and smaller urban builds searching for a sustainable middle lane.

Trend Summary

Signals today point to accelerating, shaped by the sheer momentum of megaprojects (Stargate, Meta Howell) despite rising pushback. Trend Score: 4.Why: Even as one project died, capital commitments and regulatory flashpoints around Saline, Howell, and Consumers’ pipeline signal that large-load planning is moving faster than community and regulatory processes can absorb.

Mood of the Transition

Steady hands on a tightening wire.