ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Dec. 3, 2025) — Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.) and 22 fellow legislators submitted a letter to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) supporting a contested hearing on MSPC Case U-21990. This case is a request by DTE to have an expedited ex-parte decision to approve two contracts for the publicly regulated utility to supply 1.4 gigawatts of power to a data center being developed by Stargate Ventures, a joint venture of Related Digital, Oracle and Open AI. A contested proceeding would allow for expert testimony, different parties to intervene, request discovery and file testimony before the MPSC decides the case.
“It is the job of the legislature to stand up for the people of this state,” said Shink, “and make sure that their interests are protected. They and we need a contested process to ensure that all relevant information is considered before the MPSC makes a decision.”
Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth Twp.) said, “In my experience as a Metro Detroit customer, reliability is always a concern and especially so during winter. Transparency from DTE and from the MPSC would go a long way to assuring the public that this won’t jeopardize the power grid. That is why treating this as a contested case and ensuring public comment is crucial, both for residents of Saline and also those in the surrounding area to ask questions and make sure that the MPSC is doing their due diligence. Fast-tracking a project of this size while side-stepping the formal process is reckless and sets a horrible precedent.”
The completed data center will require 1.4 gigawatts of power, which represents 25% of the current usage in Michigan and is the equivalent power needed for over 1 million homes. This is the largest power consumption increase in Michigan’s history. It is unprecedented and deserves to have a public and contested hearing.
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