Hundreds of residents urge MPSC to reject DTE’s ex parte approval for Seline data‑center; concerns about water, rates and secrecy

Hundreds of residents and community groups asked the Michigan Public Service Commission on Dec. 5 to deny DTE Electric Company’s request for expedited (ex parte) approval of special contracts tied to a proposed Seline Township data center (case U‑21990).

Jordan Kleinmith, a York Township resident, said he has recorded more than 100 interruptions at his home and urged the commission to move the application to a contested proceeding so the public can review contractual terms and system impacts rather than allow approval on a redacted, expedited basis. "Please deny the ex parte approval and move this into a contested situation where we can all see those terms," he said.

Speakers across multiple townships and several student and tribal representatives cited a range of concerns: projected electricity demand (commenters repeatedly cited a 1.4‑gigawatt figure for the Seline site and warned that could equal roughly 25% of DTE’s current demand), potential strain on the grid and upward pressure on rates, heavy water use and water‑quality risks (including concerns about PFAS and wastewater impacts), the limited long‑term job benefits of hyperscale data centers, and the secrecy around redacted contract terms and non‑disclosure agreements between developers and local officials.

Several commenters, including a public‑health researcher, pointed to examples from other states where large data‑center clusters were associated with higher local electricity prices. Others warned that LLC structures and redactions could leave communities exposed to financial risk if developers fail to perform. Multiple speakers thanked the commission for removing the ex parte vote from today’s agenda and requested a full contested hearing with discovery and public testimony.

Chair Dan Scripps closed the public comment period after hearing more than 40 in‑person speakers at the meeting and noted the docket has thousands of written comments in the eFile system. He reiterated that members of the public can file comments to the docket U‑21990 through the commission’s e‑docket portal. No formal commission vote on U‑21990 took place during the meeting; commissioners deferred further action and asked staff to continue processing public submissions.