Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has thrown her weight behind a challenge to the fast-tracked approval of power contracts for a massive data center project in Washtenaw County, citing concerns over potential rate hikes and lack of public scrutiny.
The contentious decision, made by the Michigan Public Service Commission on December 18, allows DTE Energy to secure special power deals with two major tech companies, Oracle and OpenAI, as part of the "Project Stargate" development in Saline Township. The 1.4-gigawatt data center is expected to consume as much electricity as nearly one million homes, prompting worries among residents, environmental advocates, and consumer watchdogs about its long-term impacts on electric rates, grid reliability, and the environment.
Nessel's office has filed a petition for rehearing with the Michigan Public Service Commission, arguing that the commission erred in approving the contracts behind closed doors without holding a contested case hearing. The attorney general believes this approach cut corners and shut out the public and their advocates, serving only the interests of DTE Energy and its high-paying clients.
As part of her challenge, Nessel questions whether the conditions imposed by the commission are meaningful or enforceable. She also argues that many appear to rely on repeated assurances from DTE rather than concrete commitments backed by evidence. The attorney general is seeking clarification on how those conditions will protect ratepayers and objects to the commission allowing DTE to serve as the project's financial backstop.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has defended its decision, stating that it "unequivocally rejects any claim that these contracts were inadequately reviewed." However, Nessel remains disappointed with the fast-tracked approval process, arguing that it prioritized the interests of DTE Energy and its clients over those of Michigan residents.
The contentious decision, made by the Michigan Public Service Commission on December 18, allows DTE Energy to secure special power deals with two major tech companies, Oracle and OpenAI, as part of the "Project Stargate" development in Saline Township. The 1.4-gigawatt data center is expected to consume as much electricity as nearly one million homes, prompting worries among residents, environmental advocates, and consumer watchdogs about its long-term impacts on electric rates, grid reliability, and the environment.
Nessel's office has filed a petition for rehearing with the Michigan Public Service Commission, arguing that the commission erred in approving the contracts behind closed doors without holding a contested case hearing. The attorney general believes this approach cut corners and shut out the public and their advocates, serving only the interests of DTE Energy and its high-paying clients.
As part of her challenge, Nessel questions whether the conditions imposed by the commission are meaningful or enforceable. She also argues that many appear to rely on repeated assurances from DTE rather than concrete commitments backed by evidence. The attorney general is seeking clarification on how those conditions will protect ratepayers and objects to the commission allowing DTE to serve as the project's financial backstop.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has defended its decision, stating that it "unequivocally rejects any claim that these contracts were inadequately reviewed." However, Nessel remains disappointed with the fast-tracked approval process, arguing that it prioritized the interests of DTE Energy and its clients over those of Michigan residents.
. I mean, 1.4 gigawatts of power consumption is no joke! It's like they're planning to light up an entire small town 
. And the fact that it was approved behind closed doors without public scrutiny just doesn't sit right with me 
. I'm not surprised Dana Nessel is speaking out against this, her office has every right to be concerned about rate hikes and whatnot.
. If they're really going to consume that much power, it's gotta have a dent in our grid reliability 
. And don't even get me started on the environmental impact 
. We can't just ignore the concerns of local residents and consumer watchdogs, we need to be more transparent about this project.
. We need more public input and oversight on these kinds of massive projects, especially when it comes to something as big as a data center 
.
I hope Nessel gets some answers, this just doesn't feel right 
It seems like Nessel's right to question this whole process - we should be having a public discussion about this, not some behind-the-scenes deal-making. 
She's all about makin shure that ratepayers dont get screwd by these power contracts 4 the big tech companies 
That doesn't sit right with me at all.
Not cool, folks!
This data center thing is gonna be HUGE 
but also kinda sketchy 
. Like, how can they just approve contracts without even a public hearing? 
shouldn't we know what's going on? 
And what about the rate hikes? 
won't they just eat our lunch 
? I don't trust DTE Energy one bit 
. Our AG Dana Nessel is doing us a solid, asking for some transparency 
. Let's keep an eye on this, folks! 
i've been talking to my friend who works at dte energy and she said that they're literally making bank off this deal 
it just doesn't sit right with me.
they're basically just taking DTE energy's word for it without even doing their due diligence. i mean i've been following this story for weeks and i'm still trying to figure out what's going on with those conditions 
we need more leaders like her who aren't afraid to speak truth to power 
.
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