SALINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — All around Saline Township, you’ll see signs posted by residents who oppose a proposed artificial intelligence data center.
Tim Bruneau, a Saline Township resident, told the Scripps News Group, “No secret deals for DTE. We can't let this go by.”
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
He and his wife, Tammi, said they moved to the countryside for peace and quiet. But they say that way of life is under threat by the proposed data center.
A developer wants to build the structure on nearby farmland. In a perfect world, the Bruneaus said the idea would just go away.
Their concerns range from a drop in property values, to noise and ground pollution. Another concern is the potential impact on their energy bill.
“At the very least, we need to have guarantees from DTE that this is not going to affect our bills five, 10 years down the line,” Tammi Bruneau said.
DTE is asking the Michigan Public Service Commission to fast track the approval process to provide power to the proposed data center.
But Tuesday morning, environmental experts and state officials including Michigan's attorney general came together to demand more transparency.
“We can regulate these entities responsibly and therefore, we have an obligation to do so, but we can’t claim responsibility and fair regulation if we’re starting out with all these shortcuts,” Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general, said.
As Nessel explained, DTE filed what’s known as an ex parte application with the MPSC. Basically, an ex parte application means no one can challenge what DTE is seeking to do.
Nessel said DTE claims the application should be granted because no one will be impacted by rate hikes. It’s a notion some residents the Scripps News Group talked to don’t believe.
“My concern is that it appears as though the commission is under extraordinary political and industry pressure to ram through these special contracts for DTE without any public discovery, despite the fact that all our other organizations have been sounding the alarm for nearly a month that these massive contracts have the potential to shape energy policy for decades to come,” Nessel said.
The Scripps News Group reached out to the MPSC. The commission, which is now going to host a virtual public hearing next Wednesday, Dec. 3, declined to comment.
DTE released the following statement:
"To be clear, these data center customer contracts will NOT create a cost increase for our existing customers. In its filing, DTE is asking for the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve additional terms of service that create safeguards to protect our existing customers. A request to add additional safeguards to a rate schedule that the customer already qualifies for fundamentally does not result in an increase in the cost of service.
In addition, recently passed legislation by the state of Michigan ensures our customers will NOT subsidize data center rates. Furthermore, Michigan’s regulatory process allows a company to file for ex parte (or uncontested) approval of contracts if there is no cost-of-service increase to customers. To that end, DTE Electric is following the defined process for filing this regulatory request. It’s also worth noting that the data center customer will absorb all new costs of the incremental new battery storage projects that protect and promote continued reliable service for all customers."
