Saginaw's 8-0 vote adds water, energy and community participation requirements as Google's Wayne County project moves toward electricity service in December 2027 and full load in December 2028.
On October 1, 2026, the Michigan Public Service Commission unanimously approved special DTE Electric contracts for Google's planned 1-gigawatt data center. The project is expected to begin receiving electricity in December 2027. The target for maximum load is December 2028.
Those dates are not the same. Service comes first. Full demand comes later.
The commission's decision came as Saginaw officials set new rules for future data centers and state lawmakers introduced bills that would give local governments more information and legal protection. The MPSC action covers utility service and protections for DTE customers. It is not a general construction approval for the facility.
Saginaw sets development rules
Saginaw City Council voted 8-0 to approve a data center zoning ordinance. According to reporting by Alexander Gustanksi of Mid-Michigan Now, developers must provide a good neighbor policy, a water consumption and thermal management report, an electric and natural gas service report, and measures for citizen participation.
The rules bring basic operating questions into the local review process. Developers must explain water use, cooling systems, utility connections and how residents can take part.
The ordinance does not approve a specific data center. It sets the information and participation requirements that developers must meet when they seek approval under Saginaw's zoning system. Project-specific decisions will follow the city's applicable review procedures.
The city now has a formal process.
Google project advances
Under the MPSC-approved arrangement, the main contract runs for 20 years. DTE's large customers typically sign five-year contracts. Google must also pay for at least 80% of the contracted capacity if its actual use is lower. The MPSC approval notice describes the customer-protection provisions.
The commission acted under the state's authority to regulate utility rates and service conditions for regulated customers, including data centers. Its approval covers the power contracts, not the full construction process.
Google must cover at least 15 years of minimum monthly payments if the project ends early. The early-termination provision is intended to recover DTE's project-related costs. It also protects other customers from taking on those costs.
Google will separately fund DTE's development of up to 1,600 megawatts of renewable generation and up to 480 megawatts of energy storage. Those costs will not be assigned to DTE or its other customers.
The commission's action follows an earlier power update on the project. The latest decision covers electricity-supply contracts. It does not change Saginaw's zoning rules or turn the proposed state legislation into law.
Wayne County's role also grew after the Wayne County Commission voted unanimously to override County Executive Warren Evans' veto of a $125 million tax break for the Google data center and a community benefits agreement tied to the project. Candice Williams of The Detroit News reported the county action.
That vote was separate.
It is also separate from the MPSC utility decision and from any local land-use approvals required for construction.
State bills seek disclosures
State Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township) introduced House Bills 6426 and 6427. The bills went to the House Government Operations Committee. They remain proposals, not enacted requirements.
If lawmakers approve them, large-scale data center developers would have to disclose expected energy and water use, infrastructure needs, environmental impacts, ownership information and expansion plans up front. The bills would also strengthen legal protections for local governments.
That information would give communities a fuller record before major facilities move through local decisions.
Saginaw's ordinance addresses many of the same practical concerns, but the two measures work at different levels. The city rules apply through Saginaw's zoning process. The House bills would create statewide disclosure and legal standards only if the Michigan Legislature passes them and the governor signs them into law.
The state framework is still pending.
Pressure reaches other projects
The University of Michigan is preparing for a second town hall on its $1.25 billion computing center project with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Before that meeting, U-M Regent Paul Brown joined township residents and labor representatives who spoke against the facility. Brian Allnutt of Planet Detroit reported on the opposition.
Energy demand is part of the wider debate. Michigan's largest energy companies are considering new natural gas power plants. Lucas Smolcic Larson of MLive examined the role data centers may play in driving electricity demand.
For communities reviewing similar proposals, the questions are concrete. How much electricity and water will a facility need? How will its cooling systems work? Who will pay for utility and road upgrades? What happens if projected demand does not materialize?
The MPSC's Google decision addresses several financial questions for DTE customers. Saginaw's ordinance focuses on the information developers must provide during local review.
Michigan is not stopping data center construction through these actions. It is tightening the information requirements, utility protections and approval processes around new facilities.
Projects are securing power and tax arrangements. Communities and lawmakers are demanding earlier details about water, energy and infrastructure needs. Saginaw offers the clearest local example in this roundup because its ordinance turns those concerns into formal development conditions.
The state bills remain pending. The Google project still faces questions beyond its power contracts. The practical test is whether local governments can assess these facilities before major commitments are locked in.
