'TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE' | Whitmer supports Michigan's biggest investment ever: Multi-billion dollar AI data center

The governor framed the project as balancing economic development with environmental protection.

By Brielle Meyer

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer submitted public comment to the Michigan Public Service Commission on Wednesday, formally supporting the multibillion-dollar OpenAI Stargate project that she called the largest business investment in Michigan's history.

The data center project in Saline Township is expected to create more than 2,500 union construction jobs, over 450 permanent on-site positions and 1,500 additional jobs across Washtenaw County, according to the governor's office.

In her comments to regulators, Whitmer emphasized that Michigan must act quickly to secure the project amid fierce competition from other states and global rivals like China.

"Right now, time is of the essence," Whitmer wrote. "There is a shortage of global computing capacity, and China is moving aggressively to build their own centers and get a leg up on America."

The governor framed the project as balancing economic development with environmental protection, highlighting commitments from Oracle and Related Digital to protect ratepayers and Michigan's natural resources.

The facility will use a closed-loop, air cooling system rather than drawing water from the Great Lakes, according to the governor's office. The project will preserve more than 700 acres as farmland, wetlands and forest.

Whitmer said DTE Energy already supplies the power the facility needs and that Oracle will fund any additional grid upgrades without raising rates for existing customers.

Related Digital will invest an additional $14 million in local fire departments, a community investment fund and farmland preservation trust, as requested by the Saline Township Board.

A Michigan Department of Transportation traffic study awarded the project an "A" grade and found minimal impact on local traffic.

Michigan was selected for the project due to its skilled construction and tech workforce and bipartisan legislation Whitmer signed earlier this year that lowered costs for building high-tech AI infrastructure. The facility's proximity to the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University offers a pipeline of local talent, officials said.

The project is part of Oracle and OpenAI's broader Stargate expansion, which includes sites in Texas, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Ohio. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, pending Michigan Public Service Commission approval.

"Let's reject false choices as we work together to create thousands of good-paying jobs AND protect our environment AND outcompete other states and nations," Whitmer wrote.