Wayne County Overrides Executive Veto on Google Data Center Tax Break; Michigan Regulators Approve DTE Power Deal

Wayne County, Michigan commissioners voted 13-0 to override County Executive Warren Evans’ veto of a tax exemption for Google’s Project Cannoli data center in Van Buren Township, a 282-acre site projected to use between 2 million and 3.6 million gallons of water per day and about one gigawatt of power. The county exemption saves the tech giant more than $125 million; Van Buren Township had separately approved $125 million in tax incentives in May. On the same day, Michigan’s utility regulator voted unanimously to grant conditional approval for DTE Energy contracts under a 20-year agreement with 80% minimum billing demand and a termination payment guaranteeing at least 15 years of minimum monthly charges. The data center is expected to begin service in December 2027. Evans said ‘I feel the same way after the veto override.’ Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel had pushed for a 90% minimum billing demand to protect other ratepayers from stranded-asset risk.