By Charlotte Salley
Publication Date: 2026-05-14 05:30:00
A dispute over a massive AI data center in rural Michigan is getting new attention online after residents tried to stop the project — only to watch it move forward anyway.
The dispute in Saline Township is a striking example of how difficult it is for local communities to defend themselves against the rapid expansion of data centers across the country.
What happened?
Municipal officials rejected a proposed $16 billion OpenAI-Oracle Stargate data center campus, a 21 million-square-foot project planned for 575 acres of farmland. In September, both the planning commission and the township board voted against the rezoning request. Residents crowded into public meetings, posted “No Data Center” signs and warned that the facility would fundamentally alter the area’s rural landscape.
In a widely shared image from the backlash: Assets showed Michigan residents protesting the proposal, saying it was pushed forward without sufficient public transparency. Their concerns centered on…
