Here’s a roundup of data center news we’re watching at Planet Detroit as we cover the environmental and financial impacts of the developments in Michigan communities.
Saline Township board reverses course, drops cap on Oracle data center tax break Saline Township’s board voted 5-0 to remove a $4.8-billion valuation cap from its tax abatement approval for “The Barn,” the $43 billion Oracle and OpenAI data center. The township’s attorney warned that capping the valuation would violate a 2025 consent judgment settling an earlier lawsuit, risking damages and legal costs. The reversal follows community backlash, with some residents feeling betrayed while others supported prioritizing legal compliance. A “claw back” provision requiring repayment if conditions aren’t met remains in effect. Source: MLive
Developer says data centers treated unfairly as Wixom rejects waiver Wixom City Council unanimously rejected a request to lift the city’s data center moratorium, which has been in place since March and remains effective until August. Developers Wixom Industrial One and Sansone Group sought approval for a three-building, 519,000-square-foot facility on 55 acres. The council called the waiver request “unreasonable” given health, safety, and welfare concerns. A vote on new data center rules was postponed. Source: Data Centre Dynamics…