- Google signs a 20-year deal with DTE Energy to produce 2.7 GW of clean energy
- The data center will only use 1GW – 1.7GW is designed for nearby communities
- Google’s $10M Energy Impact Fund will also support local people to improve energy efficiency
Google has confirmed that the company has signed a new data center deal in Michigan, partnering with the state’s DTE Energy, and that there are much broader implications for the local economy and sustainability.
As part of the contract, Google will finance 2.7 GW of new clean energy capacity via the 20-year contract, including a mix of solar and battery storage.
Google will also help improve grid flexibility and demand response systems in hopes of reducing the data center’s impact on local homes and businesses.
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Google’s data center in Michigan will help modernize the web
“As part of this announcement, Google is introducing a $10 million Energy Impact Fund to scale and accelerate energy affordability initiatives designed to reduce monthly bills for Michigan communities,” wrote the company’s Americas Clean Energy and Power Director Will Conkling.
This includes “home weatherization, efficiency technology innovations for households, and energy workforce development projects.” The company must also cover the costs associated with upgrading the infrastructure and providing power to the new data center campus.
With the data center expected to use 1GW, this marks one of the largest clean energy data center projects of its kind – the 2.7GW plans will nearly triple Google’s projected usage and support the state (which has traditionally relied on coal) with cleaner sources.
The company has not yet confirmed a location for its site, but it is currently evaluating a site in Van Buren Township, a western suburb of Detroit.
More broadly, Microsoft is also eyeing a data center site at Covenant Business Park in Lowell, according to an update from the Township.
Google’s data center could go live in late 2027 or 2028.
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