Nessel Sounds Alarm On Lack Of Public Scrutiny In Saline Data Center Contracts

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/25/2026) With DTE Energy asking the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to quickly approve electric service to two high-electricity-using data centers, Attorney General Dana Nessel said Tuesday that the situation is “highly unusual” and that DTE is “making unverified promises (that) nobody else will shoulder these costs.”

At the end of October, a new data center project in Saline Township was announced, and DTE was selected as the energy provider. However, DTE requested a fast-tracked approval process from the MPSC. While the state regulatory body said last week that they would take two hours of public comment about the special contracts, Nessel said in a press conference this morning that her concern is that she thinks the MPSC is under “extraordinary and unprecedented political and industry power to ram through these special contracts for DTE without any public discovery.”

“Two of the biggest political gift givers to individuals in the legislature, to the governor, to my office, are DTE and Consumers Energy. And unfortunately, with what we've seen in the past … when you have a statewide elected (official), a member of the legislature who is too outspoken in opposition to what these companies want to see occur, they end up just getting buried in political donations to an opponent of theirs,” Nessel said.

Nessel said the most frustrating part of the lack of public scrutiny happening on these special contracts is that the data center could turn out to be a great benefit to Michiganders, and she doesn’t understand why there can’t be a contested case hearing to be better digested.

“None of us are here to denigrate the existence of data centers or having them in Michigan. We just want it to be done right,” Nessel said.

Rep. Morgan Foreman (D-Ann Arbor), who represents the area where the data center would be put in, said DTE’s request to speed through the approval process and bypass public hearings is not just unusual, but it’s also inappropriate to cut the public out of a process that influences energy bills, water use and local infrastructure.

“The main thing that I heard in the doors two years ago when I was running for office was about DTE and how my community does not trust them,” Foreman said. “My constituents and I deserve to know exactly how this will affect us as rate payers, especially when you're talking about potential billions in new energy capacity and infrastructure.”

Nessel mentioned that there isn’t a public version of the contract available anywhere, at least not one without significant redactions.

Nessel said the contracts could impact all of us in a very short time, impacting electric bills and rates, how energy is generated, and what costs might come if the companies leave Michigan.

Nessel said it seems likely that Michigan could end up housing several data centers, and as Michigan enters the data center era and economy, it must be done responsibly.

To that point, DTE released a statement today reiterating that data center contracts will not create a cost increase for existing customers. In its filing, DTE is asking for the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve additional terms of service that create safeguards to protect our existing customers.

A request to add additional safeguards to a rate schedule that the customer already qualifies for fundamentally does not result in an increase in the cost of service.

The company also noted that regulated utilities can file uncontested contract approvals when there is no cost of service increase to customers.

“To that end, DTE Electric is following the defined process for filing this regulatory request,” the company's statement reads. “It’s also worth noting that the data center customer will absorb all new costs of the incremental new battery storage projects that protect and promote continued reliable service for all customers.”

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