When it comes to data centers, it’s a big one.
The Saline Township campus in Michigan, about 80 miles from Detroit, will have more than 1 gigawatt of capacity. That’s amazing. Most data centers have a capacity of 100 to 300 megawatts.
And now its developer, Related Digital, says it has secured the $16 billion needed to build it, with a little help from Blackstone and PIMCO.
The campus will initially span 250 acres, making it one of the largest campuses in the United States. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year called it “the largest investment in Michigan history.”
Saline data centers will help drive Oracle’s AI business, which the company expects to generate approximately $90 billion in revenue by 2027.
This is part of the Stargate project, a $500 billion initiative led by Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank that aims to build AI infrastructure across the United States and ensure U.S. supremacy in the race to develop artificial intelligence.
Despite all the hype, nearby Michigan residents have concerns about the project. Protesters who gathered in Saline in December told Michigan Public Radio they were concerned about the impact on the power grid and the possibility of contaminating surrounding areas.
Demonstrators gather in downtown Saline to protest Oracle’s new data center powered by DTE, Michigan’s largest electric utility. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group (via Getty Images)
“If it just magically disappeared, I’d be so happy,” Michigan resident Tammy Bruneau told Michigan Public Radio. “I would be so happy. I could go back to a quiet life and not have to stand out on the street corner and scream that I hate this place.”
meanwhile Companies like OpenAI Claims that building new data centers will reindustrialize the U.S. economy Residents in a town where a developer is proposing a new data center are concerned about its impact on the power grid. water resourcespollution, and overall quality of life.
Rural America has become a prime destination for big tech companies competing for data capacity to fuel their AI ambitions.
In a study published last year, Business Insider identified that there will be 1,240 existing or planned data centers across the country in 2024. This is the most robust tally to date and is a significant increase from the 311 locations licensed in 2010. A significant portion of that is being built or will be built in the Midwest.
In response to growing concerns, technology leaders announced in March that they would cover more areas. Data center energy costs Visiting the White House. Developers of the saline project said they will use a “closed-loop cooling system” to protect Michigan’s water.
But that has done little to ease local residents’ fears.