Massive Saline Data Center Project Receives Backlash, Mixed Responses

A data center photo op with Sam Altman sparks political fury for Gretchen Whitmer

A photo-op in an agricultural town near the University of Michigan with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman electrified criticism on social media as Michiganders expressed disappointment in the governor’s presence. A political strategist told Straight Arrow that Whitmer walks a tight line with the move.  The photo spread like wildfire over the internet, garnering more than 1 million views and hundreds of comments noting the disapprov…

Saline Township data center project draws sharp criticism by some

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib are among the dissenting voices slamming the hyperscale data center in Saline.

PHOTO: Jocelyn Benson’s husband’s boss poses with Gretchen Whitmer at Saline Township data center ceremony

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was beaming Wednesday as she posed alongside Related Companies CEO Jeff Blau and other tech executives to celebrate a hyperscale data center in Saline Township that’s widely opposed by locals and many in her own party. Whitmer hailed the 1.4 gigawatt data center, dubbed The Barn in honor of the 700 acres of farmland it’s expected to occupy, as “the largest economic project in Michigan history” in a groundbreaking ceremony t…

Can Data Centers be Done Right? Is Michigan’s Stargate a Model?

I was able to tour the site of Oracle’s new Stargate Data Center in Saline Township, Michigan yesterday. Couple of observations. The site is big, but worth noting as the video above does, there is a thousand acres of land in this parcel, and the actual build is 250 acres. The rest is being left … Continue reading "Can Data Centers be Done Right? Is Michigan’s Stargate a Model?"