A hyperscale data center planned for Western Wayne County now officially has a known backer: Google.
Some details about the data center proposed in Van Buren Township have been floating around for weeks. But the company pushing for it remained a mystery until Google put speculation to rest this week.
The data center that’s been dubbed “Project Cannoli” will require so much power, it’s difficult to grasp. That quantity is one gigawatt, which is as much as DTE Energy’s Fermi nuclear power plant produces, or an average major city consumes.
But Google said in a blog post that it will supply all the power needed, plus more. The company has plans to add 2.7 gigawatts to DTE Energy’s grid, much of it from renewable sources. That number represents around one-quarter of DTE’s total current grid capacity.
Google has also now filed detailed initial regulatory paperwork with DTE. Utility officials said the project will go through the usual vetting process known as a contested case — allowing independent experts and the public to examine plans and comment on them — before the whole project goes to the Michigan Public Service Commission for final approval.
DTE said that entire process should take about six months. It's a process the utility sought to bypass when it won conditional approval for a data center power plan in Saline Township last year.
Google also still needs official approval from officials in Van Buren Township. Negotiations over the site plan and other matters are still underway, but most Township officials, including Supervisor Kevin McNamara, have voiced enthusiastic support.
Editor's note: DTE Energy is among Michigan Public's corporate sponsors.
