YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ypsilanti Township's Board of Trustees unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on large electric utility structures, a move that comes one week after the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory announced plans for a new supercomputing facility at Bridge and Textile Roads.
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Township attorney Doug Winters said the pause is meant to give leaders time to review local land use regulations before construction moves forward.
"It's for six months, the moratorium; at the same time, we're going to proceed with due diligence," Winters said.
The University of Michigan says the planned facility is not a data center, but rather a research-focused facility designed to handle massive scientific and AI-driven computing projects. The moratorium, however, targets the large electric utility infrastructure that would be needed to power a project of that scale.
"We're going to take a pause to make sure that our land use regulations are in alignment with their intended projections of the power they're going to be delivering to these data centers," Winters said.
Residents who attended Tuesday night's Board of Trustees meeting expressed support for the township's approach. Nancy Fox, who lives about a mile and a half from the planned supercomputing facility, said she backs the moratorium.
"Anything that we can create and do, I understand the township is going to employ additional attorneys on this subject," Fox said.
Another resident, Jessica Sieloff, said she feels the township has been transparent with the community and wants the University of Michigan to follow suit.
"More transparency and honestly more consideration for the community," Sieloff said.
Sieloff added that the university appears focused on its own agenda.
"They're just acting on behalf of what they want to do," Sieloff said.
A University of Michigan spokesperson said the university is evaluating the resolution but declined to comment further.
DTE Energy said it is also reviewing the moratorium and released a statement saying:
As the electric service provider for the community, we have an obligation to provide safe and reliable service to all residents and businesses in Ypsilanti Township. Our team is reviewing the moratorium, and we are committed to working closely with Township officials and the University of Michigan as discussions continue on the proposed research computing center.
Winters said the township is prepared to use every available tool to make its position known.
"All options are on the table; we will use any and all legal means necessary to make sure our voice is heard," Winters said.
The University of Michigan has scheduled a town hall meeting about the supercomputing facility for September 9. The university says the event will give community members an opportunity to ask questions and share comments about the project.
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