Michigan townships are actively resisting major data center developments through targeted moratoriums. Ypsilanti Township approved a 180-day ban on major electrical infrastructure to delay a $1.25 billion, 220,000-square-foot hyperscale data center backed by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory for nuclear weapons research. Meanwhile, developer Raeden Acquisitions has sued the city of Gibraltar over a separate one-year data center moratorium, alleging the ban unlawfully targets its proposed project at a former steel mill.
Gibraltar data center moratorium
- ▪Gibraltar Council member Kathy LaPointe stated the moratorium was intended to give the planning commission sufficient time for due diligence without being pressured into a fast-track decision.
- ▪The Gibraltar data center moratorium allows the council to grant a waiver if it determines the waiver will not impact public health, safety, and welfare.
- ▪The Gibraltar City Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on March 9, 2026, prohibiting the establishment and use of data centers pending further study and regulations.
Ypsilanti electrical infrastructure ban
- ▪Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo stated the six-month electrical infrastructure ban is intended to study potential effects on noise pollution and existing power customers.
- ▪In April 2026, Ypsilanti Township voted to impose a separate one-year temporary ban on delivering water to hyperscale data centers.
- ▪Ypsilanti Township approved a 180-day moratorium on major electric utility infrastructure needed to support new high-energy-demand facilities, including hyperscale data centers.
University of Michigan facility
- ▪The University of Michigan proceeded with its groundbreaking for the Ypsilanti Township data center project despite the township's temporary water ban.
- ▪The University of Michigan threatened legal action against Ypsilanti Township over its April water moratorium, calling the township's actions discriminatory.
- ▪The University of Michigan selected a 144-acre site on Textile Road in Ypsilanti Township to build a $1.25 billion, 220,000-square-foot hyperscale data center and research facility.
Los Alamos nuclear research
- ▪The University of Michigan stated that the Ypsilanti Township facility is not a military installation, will not store hazardous nuclear materials, and will not conduct real-time defense operations.
- ▪The proposed Ypsilanti Township data center is backed by the University of Michigan and the Los Alamos National Laboratory to support nuclear weapons research.
Raedan Acquisitions lawsuit
- ▪Raeden Acquisitions and CAL Realty LLC submitted their initial data center application to Gibraltar on February 17, 2026, and provided an updated site plan on May 27, 2026.
- ▪The lawsuit by Raeden Acquisitions and CAL Realty LLC alleges that Gibraltar city officials unlawfully imposed a one-year moratorium to suspend or defeat review of their pending data center application.
- ▪Raeden Acquisitions and CAL Realty LLC filed a lawsuit against the city of Gibraltar, Michigan, on August 17, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Community environmental concerns
- ▪Ypsilanti Township Clerk Debbie Swanson criticized the University of Michigan for a lack of respect and transparency regarding its communications about the data center project.
- ▪Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo called the selection of the Textile Road site a travesty of justice because it failed to address residents' environmental concerns.
- ▪Gibraltar residents expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed McLouth steel mill data center, specifically regarding its potential effects on water quality.
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