- Google signs 20-year deal with DTE Energy to produce 2.7GW of clean energy
- The data center will only use 1GW – 1.7GW are designed for nearby communities
- Google's $10m Energy Impact Fund will also support locals improve energy efficiency
Google has confirmed the company has signed a new data center deal in Michigan, partnering with the state's DTE Energy, and there are much broader implications for the local economy and sustainability.
As part of the contract, Google will fund 2.7GW of new clean energy capacity via the 20-year contract, including a mix of solar and battery storage.
Google will also contribute to enhancing grid flexibility and demand response systems, in the hope of reducing its data center's impact on local homes and businesses.
Google's Michigan data center will help modernize the grid
"As part of this announcement, Google is introducing a $10 million Energy Impact Fund to scale and accelerate energy affordability initiatives that are designed to drive down monthly bills for communities in Michigan," the company's Americas Clean Energy and Power Director Will Conkling wrote.
This includes "home weatherization, efficiency technology innovations for households and energy workforce development projects." The company is also set to cover the costs associated with upgrading the infrastructure and delivering electricity to the new data center campus.
With the data center expected to use 1GW, this marks one of the biggest clean energy data center projects of its kind – the 2.7GW plans will nearly triple Google's expected use, supporting the state (which has traditionally relied heavily on coal) with cleaner sources.
The company hasn't yet confirmed a location for its site, but it's currently assessing a site in Van Buren Township, a western suburb of Detroit.
More broadly, Microsoft is also eying up a data center site at the Covenant Business Park in Lowell, per an update by the Township.
Google's data center could go live in late 2027 or 2028.
