State energy regulators heard from people last night who oppose a large data center project near Saline. The Michigan Public Service Commission held a virtual hearing on DTE Energy’s request to fast-track contracts with the project’s developers.  

The data center would require DTE Energy to substantially increase its peak electrical load. The company says that won’t raise customer’s rate.  

Cadillac resident Cody Gilbert spoke at the hearing. Gilbert is concerned about how the data center would affect that state’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.  

“A project that uses thousands of gallons of water and tons of electricity, enough for thousands of home is not advancing that goal.” 

Opponents say the facility would draw almost as much power as the city of Detroit.  

Protestors rallied Wednesday in Beacon Park near DTE Headquarters.  

Elijah Williams lives in Detroit but is originally from Mississippi. 

He says he feels his home state and Michigan are attractive to data companies because they have access to the large amounts of water needed to cool a data center. 

“The access to the Great Lakes… they’re definitely taking advantage of whatever God-given resource in order to just implement whatever quantum…. whatever new level of science and technology that they haven’t got consent from the people on if they even want it in the first place.” 

Sarah Brabbs is from York Township, next to Saline. While she is not totally opposed to the data center, she says she isn’t a fan of DTE trying to keep the public out of the process.  

“Putting rate payers in a situation that you know we will be paying for…probably on multiple levels…is disingenuous, dysfunctional…and unacceptable.” 

DTE said the data center’s operators would pay for the energy they use, almost 1.5 gigawatts. 

Additional headlines from Thursday, December 4, 2025

VERDAD tool

Wayne State’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350 thousand grant for its AI powered tool “VERDAD”, which stands for Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse.” 

VERDAD founder and journalist Martina Guzman says the tool started monitoring ethnic radio stations for disinformation in Latino communities.  

“The tool records 24 hours a day… And once it hears misinformation… And it hears it based on hundreds and hundreds of disinformation keywords that we’ve uploaded into its system… once it hears one of those words, it begins to really focus and it has an analysis component.” 

Since VERDAD launched last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the free tool. It will expand to all 50 states in multiple languages, including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.  

Robocop statue

A long awaited 11-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Robocop has finally taken its permanent place in Eastern Market. The statue is located at 3434 Russell St.  

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Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350,000 grant to expand a disinformation tool, “VERDAD: Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse.”

The AI-powered tool monitors U.S.-based ethnic radio stations for disinformation in Latino media.

VERDAD Founder and journalist Martina Guzmán says the tool will expand to all 50 states in multiple languages and also globally.

“Oftentimes, people think there’s going to be like, this commercial that’s complete disinformation. And what happens is on Latino radio stations, on ethnic radio stations, people have talk shows. And on those talk shows, it is often those people that host the talk shows that are spreading disinformation,” she says. 

Guzmán says the tool began monitoring Latino radio stations in battleground states ahead of the 2024 election.

“We felt that the election would be won or lost in those states at the time. And that was the capacity we had that we could do these eight battleground states and maybe a few more,” she says. 

The grant was awarded to the Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand its reach of languages and locations.

Guzmán says the tool works as a civil rights safeguard to empower voters.

“The tool records 24 hours a day, and once it hears misinformation, right? And it hears it based on hundreds and hundreds of disinformation keywords that we’ve uploaded into its system. And once it hears one of those words, it begins to really focus… it has an analysis component,” she says.

Since the VERDAD tool’s inception last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the free tool on Verdad.app to write articles and research trends of LatinX voters.

The tool will add several languages, including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese to inform voters.

Michigan residents demanded more scrutiny of the plan to provide electricity to a proposed data center in rural Washtenaw County on Wednesday night.

They also expressed frustration and distrust with DTE Energy. The utility is asking the state for expedited approval of the company’s contracts with Oracle Corp. for a data center planned in Saline Township, near Ann Arbor.

The facility would require 1.4 gigawatts of power from the electricity provider. The data center is part of Stargate, OpenAI’s $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure around the United States.

DTE Electric has asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to fast-track approval for its plan with Oracle to power the data center. That would bypass a process called a “contested case” that requires the commission to consider evidence and testimony from a variety of sources. Michigan’s Attorney General expressed alarm about the process, calling the hearing “performative listening” in a rebuke last month.

Protest

A small group of protesters gathered Wednesday afternoon across the street from DTE Energy’s Detroit headquarters. They were unhappy that DTE has tried to push plans for the data center through without public hearing.

Sarah Brabbs is from York Township, next to Saline. While she is not totally opposed to a data center, she said she’s not a fan of DTE trying to push the project through without allowing the public in on the process.

“Putting rate payers in a situation that you know we will be paying for, probably on multiple levels, is disingenuous, dysfunctional, and unacceptable,” Brabbs said.

Others at the protest said they’re concerned about the potential environmental impact, like how much water the facility could use and the amount of energy it would need to function.

“The access to the Great Lakes, they’re definitely taking advantage of whatever God-given resource in order to just implement whatever quantum, whatever new level of science and technology that they haven’t got consent from the people on if they even want it in the first place,” said Elijah Williams.

A virtual hearing Wednesday evening drew almost 90 participants. About 45 people spoke over the two and a half hours, with more in queue when the meeting ended at 9 p.m.

Appealing to Michigan’s workforce

A few speakers voiced support for the project. Most of the supporters represented trade unions or business associations who supported the project for creating jobs.

Randall Whitaker is the president of the Washtenaw County Skilled Building Trades Council. He said the project was an investment in Michigan’s workforce.

“A project like this is huge for workers,” he said.

Constructing the data center would create about 2,500 union jobs, according to DTE’s application. Other supporters argued that the facility would generate millions in tax revenue and attract talent to Michigan.

Burdening the electric grid?

DTE has said it expects the facility to increase its current peak electrical load by about 25%, but building out the capacity to accommodate that demand would not affect current ratepayers. DTE argues in its application that the data center won’t impact existing customers’ rates because of safeguards they’ve placed in the contracts with Oracle.

“The project strengthens Michigan’s long-term competitiveness in the fast-growing AI and advanced computing sectors, helping ensure our state remains a destination for innovation and talent,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement supporting the project.

But most participants opposed DTE’s request, citing the same concerns as the protesters – future electricity costs, how much water the facility would use, and whether the data center would actually benefit the local community.

A lack of transparency

Nichole Biber is a member of the Little Traverse Band of Odawa Indians, one of the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan. She said she doesn’t trust DTE or Oracle to do what’s best for residents.

“These ‘meaningful guardrails,’ from what I’ve heard so far, are all on the assurances of DTE and the multibillion dollar corporations that are pushing AI and data centers on us,” she said. “That does not reassure me.”

DTE’s application, which includes the contracts with Oracle, is partially redacted.

Maggie Kaercher, who runs a small fish farm in Dexter and also attended the hearing, said she wants the commission to deny DTE’s request and have the application available for a more thorough review.

“You can’t pretend that there’s transparency when there is so much redacted out of the papers that we’ve been able to see,” she said.

“What we are asking, and what many other people are asking for as well, is that the Commission give DTE’s proposal the proper scrutiny and ensure transparency,” said Katie Duckworth, an attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “Because this is the largest data center to be proposed in Michigan, and it’s one of the largest in the nation.”

Renewable energy or more fossil fuels?

Duckworth said the organization is concerned with how the data center’s power load will impact DTE’s ability to comply with Michigan’s climate change plans.

“It would also significantly increase the company’s renewable energy obligation under Michigan’s clean energy laws,” she said.

DTE is prepared for that challenge, the company said.

“Bringing on a data center of this size means more renewables, and more battery storage,” DTE said in a statement. The company also said the data center’s operators will finance the energy generation and storage needed to run the facility.

Duckworth said that solution would be “transformational” for DTE’s grid – if it happens.

“It raises a lot of questions including as to how those batteries would be charged and whether they will be charged by renewable energy, or whether it would involve prolonging the life of polluting fossil fuel plants or even building additional fossil fuel plants in the future,” she said.

Oracle expects the facility to open in December 2026. It won’t reach its maximum capacity of 1.4 gigawatts until December 2027, according to DTE’s application to the commission.

In October, DTE asked the commission to issue a decision by Friday, December 5. The commission is meeting at 1 p.m. that day.

At the virtual hearing, commissioners encouraged members of the public to attend a hearing on December 18 about the facility’s wetland impact permit, hosted by the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

This story was initially published on Michigan Public Radio’s site and was produced in partnership with WDET. DTE is among WDET’s sponsors.

Residents in Saline Township are hoping to create a “critical mass” of concerned citizens  at a virtual public hearing Wednesday night over a proposed $7 billion data center backed by tech giants OpenAI and Oracle.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is holding the hearing to review DTE Energy’s application to supply power for the 1.4-gigawatt facility. DTE is also seeking approval for an additional $300 million substation dedicated to the project.

Saline Township resident Tim Bruneau is helping mobilize local residents to stop the project’s construction. He says he fears the plan is being pushed through too quickly and worries about how the data center could influence future policy.

“This is going to affect every DTE customer and it might set a precedent for other utilities in our state and possibly even nationally,” Bruneau said.

Bruneau says he had a disturbing conversation with a DTE spokesperson at a recent Saline Township board meeting regardingt how the company would prioritize power during outages.

“He told me that number one priority is hospitals, fire and police stations, and number two would be senior citizen facilities,” Bruneau said. “I asked him if data centers would be number three and he refused to reply.”

In a press release, MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said Wednesday’s hearing will “add an important element of transparency in evaluating DTE Electric Co.’s proposed special contract.”

Find a link to join the virtual public meeting here.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Michigan chapter, reports an increase in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings in metro Detroit.

CAIR-MI officials say community members have seen ICE vehicles in Wayne County. ICE also announced an increase in enforcement in the area.

CAIR-MI advises community members to be vigilant and aware of their rights, including asking to see a warrant and remaining silent except to request an attorney. The civil rights organization says people should have emergency contacts memorized and plans in place for their family members in case of an emergency. 

Additional headlines from Monday, November 17, 2025

Hamtramck Elections

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers decided Friday not to count 37 ballots from Hamtramck’s mayoral race found in the city clerk’s office the day after elections. The board still has to count 120 cured ballots in the race, which could swing the vote in either direction.

Mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi sued opponent Hamtramck City Councilman Muhith Mahmood alleging residency fraud. The votes will be certified by tomorrow November 18.  

Closing parishes

The Archdiocese of Detroit announced a two-year process to reconstruct parishes in Southeast Michigan.

Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger said over the weekend that there has been a decline in Catholics attending Mass, in ordained priests and “participation in the sacraments.” The changes include downsizing from 200 parishes which once served 1.5 million Catholics to today’s population of about 900,000 worshipers, half of whom he says are not baptized nor attend Mass regularly.

Weisenburger says there are also several aging church buildings and a shortage of priests. The new structure will move from a Families of Parishes model to a “pastorate” model, grouping one or more parishes into a single pastor’s team.

Parishioners will have opportunities to share their input through two listening sessions at each parish. The new changes will be announced in early 2027. Changes will take place by July 2027. Restructuring can be monitored at restructuring.aod.org.  

Keith Center grant to expand AI tool 

Wayne State University Law School’s Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights received a $350,000 grant to expand a disinformation tool.

The VERDAD: Verifying and Exposing Disinformation and Discourse AI-powered tool monitors U.S.-based ethnic radio stations for disinformation for Latino media. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awarded the grant to develop and enhance the tool. The expansion includes adding more states and adding languages including Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.

The award-winning journalist Martina Guzmán founded the tool. Guzmán says the tool works as a civil rights safeguard to empower voters. Since the VERDAD tool’s inception last year, more than 320 academics and journalists have registered to use the tool.  

Healing asthma event  

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Michigan chapter, is hosting a program for people with asthma.

HEAL Asthma MI is a free program to help Michigan residents with resources and tools. Participants must be medically diagnosed with asthma, be 18 and up and face challenges to getting fair or equal health care.

To sign up, contact 248-406-4254 or email aafahealasthma@gmail.com. 

Free turkeys

The Islamic Center of Detroit is hosting a Turkey distribution this weekend.

The distribution takes place Saturday, Nov. 22, from 1-4 p.m. The mosque is providing halal turkeys. The Islamic Center of Detroit also has a food pantry open every Saturday from 2-5 p.m., located at 14350 Tireman Street in Detroit.  

The Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, in collaboration with the Oak Pointe Church, is hosting a Turkey Giveaway on Monday, November 24 at 10 a.m. People can pick up a free turkey at the Brennan Pool Building at 21415 Plymouth Road in Detroit. First-come first-served.  

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.

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Michigan is racing toward the data center boom that powers artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Lawmakers have approved generous tax breaks, and utilities are courting multi-billion-dollar projects, including a proposed $7 billion “hyperscale” campus in rural Saline Township, backed by tech giants OpenAI and Oracle. 

Supporters promise investment and new tax revenue. But critics warn that these vast, windowless buildings could come with higher electric bills, heavy demands on local water supplies, and pressure to keep fossil fuel plants running long past Michigan’s clean energy deadlines. 

So who really pays for Michigan’s data-center gold rush, and who gets to decide?

Brian Allnutt, a senior reporter and contributing editor at Planet Detroit, has been following Michigan’s data center deals from the state capitol to township board meetings and courtroom settlements. He joined Robyn Vincent to help make sense of the choices Michigan faces.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you listen to music on Spotify, you’ve probably come across AI-generated tracks—like the AI band VELVET SUNDOWN. But what you may not have noticed is that AI imposter songs are being uploaded to real artists’ pages—including one belonging to a country songwriter who was murdered in 1989, long before music streaming even existed.

Emanuel Maiberg, journalist and co-founder of 404 Media, recently published a story called “Spotify Publishes AI-Generated Songs From Dead Artists Without Permission”. He spoke with The Metro’s David Leins about how these AI imposters are showing up on Spotify—and what artificial intelligence is doing to reshape media and culture.

Jeremy Peters, Professor of Music Business at Wayne State University, also joins The Metro to talk about the lasting impact AI could have on the very culture of music.

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Two groundbreaking leaders of Detroit’s arts and culture scene will be honored at the GhostLight Arts Initiative’s inaugural GhostLight Gala, taking place this Sunday at the Garden Theater.

Honoree Njia Kai is a celebrated cultural curator, producer and community visionary. Through her company NKSK Events + Production, the lifelong Detroiter has curated some of Detroit’s most iconic cultural celebrations— from the Charles H. Wright Museum’s African World Festival to the Downtown Detroit Tree Lighting.

Dr. George Shirley, who will also be honored on Sunday, is a man of many firsts.

He was the first Black man to teach music at a Detroit High School; the first Black tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; and the first Black member of the U.S. Army chorus in Washington D.C. He also received the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama in 2015 for his work mentoring countless Black musicians.

Kai and Shirley both joined The Metro ahead of the gala to discuss their commitment and contributions to Detroit’s art scene.

Proceeds from the event will help support GhostLight programming, including its Obsidian Theatre Festival — which provides a platform for emerging Black voices in theater and film.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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