SALINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced "the largest economic project in Michigan history," a multi-billion-dollar OpenAI Stargate project, which will be built by Oracle and Related Digital.
OpenAI also announced the project in a press release, saying the project will be built on 250 acres in Saline Township in Washtenaw County. They say construction is set to begin in early 2026. The data center will be part of the Stargate project, which has additional sites already announced in Texas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
DTE Energy will provide 100% of the power for the project, using existing resources, which will be augmented by a new battery storage investment, which will be financed by the project. It is pledgedthat the project "ensures there is no impact on DTE's existing customers' energy supply or rates."
The governor's office says the project will be "the largest one-time investment in state history." However, Whitmer's announcement did not specify the total amount of the investment.
Officials project it will create 2,500 construction jobs, 450 permanent jobs on site, and 1,500 more across the county.
Whitmer issued the following statement about the project:
Today, we won the largest economic project in Michigan history.
This transformational new Stargate OpenAI facility, built by Oracle and Related Digital, will create 2,500 good-paying union construction jobs, more than 450 permanent high-skill, high-paying jobs on site, and 1,500 more in the community while helping us lead the future of advanced manufacturing and technology.
I’m grateful to these cutting-edge companies for betting on Michigan, building on our work to compete for and win big projects in next-generation industries from cars and clean energy to semiconductors and batteries.
We will continue working together at the state level to win more projects so we can create even more good-paying, local jobs for Michiganders and grow our economy.
This investment from Oracle and Related Digital sends a simple message to anyone who wants to build the future—you can build it in Michigan.
Whitmer's office says the more than one gigawatt project will be "one of the most advanced AI infrastructure facilities in the U.S., especially when it comes to its efficient use of land, water, and power," but will not require additional water from the Great Lakes and will preserve more than 700 acres of open space, which will be retained and used as farmland, wetland, and forest.
As part of the project, Related Digital will be investing $14 million in local fire departments, a community investment fund, and farmland preservation trust, as requested by the Saline Township Board.
