December 16, 2025
Server farms vs. corn farms
More than 100 rally against data centers at Michigan Capitol
Crowd shouts 'No secret deals' as AI power plan splits Michigan
TLDR: Over 100 Michiganders protested new data centers and a 1.4‑gigawatt OpenAI/Oracle plan, as the state’s attorney general slammed secrecy. Commenters split between mocking the turnout, pushing to use vacant city land, and joking about space servers—because water use, power bills, and quiet “deals” affect everyone.
Michigan’s winter chill didn’t stop a loud crowd chanting “No secret deals!” at the Capitol, railing against a wave of data centers — giant computer warehouses that drink power and water. The lightning rod: a proposed 1.4‑gigawatt complex tied to OpenAI and Oracle in Saline Township, which Attorney General Dana Nessel blasted for secrecy around utility DTE. She asked, “Do we trust them?” The crowd’s answer: a resounding no.
Online, the hot takes sizzled. One commenter scoffed, “How is ‘more than 100’ newsworthy?” — a line that drew instant eye‑rolls. Another, playing city planner, argued these noisy boxes belong on vacant urban land, not next to cornfields, pointing to empty lots in Lansing. Comic relief? “I guess we have to build them in space,” someone deadpanned, while a drive‑by “hippies” jab tried (and failed) to end the debate. Someone even dropped an archive link as receipts.
Meanwhile, lawmakers warned of a “gold rush” for tax breaks, and locals worried about Great Lakes water and higher electric bills. Smaller projects — like a 24‑megawatt site eyed for downtown Lansing — kept the tension high. Verdict from the comments section: this is a showdown between server farms and farm farms, and it’s only getting started.
Key Points
- •Over 100 people rallied at Michigan’s Capitol on Dec. 16 to protest data center developments, citing power rates, water use, and transparency.
- •AG Dana Nessel criticized a 1.4‑GW, 250‑acre Saline Township project involving OpenAI, Oracle, Related Digital, and associated with DTE Energy.
- •Nessel called the Saline project Michigan’s largest data center proposal and among the biggest nationally, noting its city-scale power demand.
- •Lyon Township and Southfield have already approved data center plans; Lansing will soon vote on Deep Green’s 24‑MW downtown project and land sale.
- •State Reps. Reggie Miller and James DeSana opposed a “gold rush mentality” and tax breaks for data centers, urging statewide vigilance.