Google announced Tuesday that it is the company behind the planned 1-gigawatt data center in Wayne County's Van Buren Township, ending months of secrecy surrounding the project known only by the code name "Project Cannoli." The tech giant made the announcement on March 17, revealing its involvement in what will be a major infrastructure development in western Wayne County.

Project Details and Location

The data center would be built on about 130 acres of a 282-acre site, situated south of I-275, north of I-94 and east of Haggerty Road. According to a township presentation earlier this year, the facility would have five buildings and a total footprint of over 800,000 square feet. The data center would be developed for Google by Panattoni Development Co., a California real estate development firm.

However, there appears to be some discrepancy in the sources regarding Google's exact role. While one source states definitively that Google would be the operator of the data center, another source indicates that Google is "evaluating whether it will get involved with Project Cannoli" and is "still in the early phases of this process." A Google spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We're working closely with Pannetoni and Van Buren Township as we go through the process and will share more details as we have them."

Approval Process and Current Status

The township's Planning Commission voted 5-2 on Feb. 11 to give preliminary site plan approval for the project. However, the data center still requires final site plan approval as well as approval of its development agreement from the township's Board of Trustees before construction can begin.

A Google representative, Jessica Ryan, told the Free Press it is too early to know a construction timeline for the data center or the number of jobs it would create once it opens.

Power and Energy Infrastructure

Google announced that the data center would be powered by what it calls 2.7 gigawatts of "new resources for the grid," including solar power and advanced power storage technologies, under an agreement with DTE Energy. This figure represents about as much energy as is needed to power 2 million homes and twice as much as will be needed to power the hyperscale data center under development in Saline Township, which is also in DTE's service territory.

The Cannoli Project hyperscale data center in Van Buren Township will demand 1 gigawatt of power, according to DTE Energy Corporate Communications Director Jill Wilmot. The remaining power supply that Google funds will "provide additional capacity and ensure all customers continue to have reliable service from DTE, even during times of peak demand."

Google stated that the power for its data center will be generated with what the company described as "clean, around-the-clock power" sources, including solar power, energy storage and demand flexibility, which means the data center can use less power if demand from other grid users is high. A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company will not power the facility with nuclear power or natural gas.

The news release didn't offer specifics about the future solar arrays and other power sources, but stated that Google would fully cover the project's electrical costs and infrastructure needs, "to ensure that its growth protects local ratepayers and actively bolsters the long-term resilience of the state's electricity grid."

Regulatory and Financial Arrangements

Google will finance the entire 2.7 gigawatts of new power supply through an agreement with DTE "to help ensure any costs associated with our data center project come to us (Google)," a company spokesperson said. DTE will have to seek approval for the plan from the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates DTE. DTE is filing the agreements with the MPSC on Tuesday.

The agreements require Google to pay for new power generation, energy storage, transmission and distribution investments needed for its new data center. DTE President and CEO Joi Harris stated, "Michigan is well-positioned to be a national model for how to realize the economic benefits of data center technology in our communities in a responsible way. Our agreement with Google supports innovation and long-term growth, continued investment in the grid and cleaner energy solutions, at the same time protecting customers from the associated costs and delivering real affordability benefits over the long term."

Water Usage and Community Impact

Regarding water usage, the township has previously stated that the data center is expected to use between 2 million and 3.6 million gallons per day for cooling its equipment. The facility would buy this water from the township and not take any from the ground. Van Buren Township purchases its water from the Great Lakes Water Authority, which draws its water from Lake Huron and the Detroit River.

Google also announced the creation of a $10 million Energy Impact Fund for local organizations to tap into with the aim of lowering monthly utility bills for Michiganders. The fund will help drive down residential ratepayers' bills by financing home weatherization projects, household energy efficiency work and energy workforce development.

Michigan Data Center Development Context

Michigan has become a hub for data center development since state lawmakers approved a tax incentive for data centers in 2024. At least 17 projects have been publicly announced since then, although some were stalled after they sparked community outrage, such as the project once planned for Howell Township. However, Michigan data center development still trails other Great Lakes states.

Community members where data centers are planned have voiced concerns about how the facilities will impact their local land use, water sources and energy prices. Economists have also warned that the surge in demand for power will raise prices for regular ratepayers. Data centers are warehouses of computing equipment used to power the internet, and hyperscale facilities, which train and operate artificial intelligence tools, can consume hundreds of acres. These facilities use significant amounts of electricity and can lead to increased water use, either for cooling equipment or because they increase cooling needs at natural gas or coal-fired power plants.

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