"A who's who of the nation's most powerful politicians and tech tycoons are forcing through a proposal for a massive data center in rural Michigan as locals from across the political spectrum have come out in force against it, with one calling it uniquely evil. Saline Township, Michigan, residents fear the $7bn center would jack up energy bills, pollute groundwater, and destroy the area's rural character."
"The 1.4 gigawatt center would consume as much power as Detroit, and would help derail Michigan's nation-leading transition to renewable energy. Responding to resident pressure, Saline Township's board of trustees in September voted down the plans, but the data center's powerful backers including Donald Trump, Open AI's Sam Altman, Oracle's Larry Ellison, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, utility giant DTE Energy, and Stephen Ross, the real-estate billionaire and Trump donor who owns Related Co fought back."
"This is part of an experience that America and the world is having around tech billionaires who are seizing power and widening the gap between those have much too much and the working and middle classes, said Yousef Rabhi, a former Democratic state legislative leader and clean energy advocate who opposes the plans. That's what these data centers are symbolic of, and they're the vehicle for is the furtherance of this divide, Rabhi added."
A coalition of powerful politicians, tech executives, and corporate interests is backing a $7bn, 1.4-gigawatt data center proposal in rural Saline Township, Michigan. Residents from across the political spectrum oppose the project, citing concerns about higher energy bills, groundwater pollution, and loss of rural character. The center would consume as much electricity as Detroit and could hinder Michigan's renewable energy transition. Saline Township trustees initially rejected the plan, but litigation by Related Digital and pressure from influential backers prompted the board to reverse that decision. Backers are now seeking to avoid regulatory scrutiny over energy costs and pollution, intensifying a broader conflict between local communities and powerful financial and political interests.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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