State Approves Big Mitten Battery Project While Local Officials Debate Development Pause

*BATTLE CREEK, MI* — As the Michigan Public Service Commission fast-tracked approval for major battery storage projects across the state, local government officials in Battle Creek are weighing whether to implement a six-month moratorium on data centers and battery storage facilities.

The state approved the Big Mitten Energy Center in Huron County on March 27, granting a 20-year agreement with DTE Electric for a 450-megawatt facility. The MPSC also approved five additional energy storage projects statewide, totaling 1,332 megawatts of capacity.

This state-level approval comes at a critical moment for local communities grappling with the rapid expansion of data centers and battery storage facilities across Michigan. The issue has sparked intense debate about environmental impact, utility costs, and long-term community effects.

Residents Express Deep Concerns About Environmental and Economic Impact

Local farmer and volunteer firefighter Jordan Sieman previously told the Huron Daily Tribune he is concerned about fires at data centers or battery storage facilities in rural communities. He said these fires are difficult to put out and require a special chemical that most local fire departments — especially volunteer departments — do not have in sufficient supply.

"You have to be considerate of the soil health, drainage systems and land structure that can be permanently altered for decades after industrial use," said Megan Mellas, a fellow Huron County native who returned to the area to raise her family in the same rural community where she grew up.

The concerns extend beyond fire safety. Community members are worried about rising utility bills, environmental degradation, and the permanent alteration of agricultural land to industrial use.

State Regulators Deny Petitions for Rehearing

Despite growing concerns from environmental groups and consumer advocates, the MPSC moved quickly to deny petitions for rehearing from the Michigan Attorney General's office and other groups.

At its March 27 hearing, the MPSC also approved battery storage contracts for six DTE projects — three of which are intended to provide power for the 1,383-megawatt data center campus being developed by Green Chile Ventures LLC in Saline Township.

State regulators said the groups calling for more hearings on DTE's agreement to power a massive data center campus lacked standing to intervene in the case.

"The Michigan Public Service Commission continues to perform a grave disservice to the state of Michigan and the utility customers of this state, to the only apparent benefit of the utility corporations and their new billion-dollar AI customers," said Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement.

Community Input Shows Divided Opinion

The state's rapid approval process has created tension between those who see data centers as economic opportunities and those who view them as threats to their communities.

At a recent town hall in Howell, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told residents that 1.4 gigawatts is the equivalent of adding one million homes to the electrical grid overnight.

"Demand is outstripping supply, and investors are rushing," Nessel said during the event.

For many residents, those comments set the tone for a difficult conversation about the future of their communities.

"It is my job, by statute, as the state's top consumer advocate, to do my best to protect our state and its ratepayers through the transition," Nessel said.

Local Communities Seek More Time to Evaluate Impact

While the state moves forward with approvals, local communities across Michigan are seeking more time to evaluate the impact of these developments before committing to new projects.

Huron County officials are holding a public hearing on Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in Room 105 of the Huron County District Court to consider implementing a six-month moratorium on data centers.

The meeting follows significant community backlash over proposed large-scale developments. After facing opposition from community members, the planning commission decided to hold the public hearing during its regularly scheduled April meeting.

"These companies promise to generate tax revenue that can be used to support local schools or other public works, but they'll only pay those taxes in the event that they're actually turning a profit," Nessel said during the town hall.

What the Approved Projects Mean for the Grid

The six energy storage projects approved by the MPSC include:

  • 450 MW Big Mitten Energy Center — Huron County
  • 350 MW Monroe I Energy Center — Monroe County
  • 200 MW Fermi Energy Center — Monroe County
  • 132 MW Fish Creek Energy Center — Washtenaw County
  • 100 MW Cold Creek Energy Center — Washtenaw County
  • 100 MW Pine River Energy Center — Washtenaw County

The first three projects will provide a combined 1,000 MW of energy storage capacity to fulfill the settlement agreement in DTE Electric Co.'s most recent approved integrated resource plan.

The last three contracts support the 1,383 MW data center being developed by Green Chile Ventures LLC in Saline Township while allowing the utility to improve grid reliability and drive down costs for customers.

"Battery energy storage provides multiple benefits to the grid, by storing excess energy when it's cheaper to produce and using the stored energy to provide power during times of peak demand," the commission said.

The Path Forward for Local Communities

As Battle Creek and other communities consider moratoriums, the state continues to push forward with energy storage approvals. The tension between rapid state approval processes and local concerns about community impact represents a growing challenge for Michigan's data center industry.

The Huron County public hearing on April 1 will be the first of several similar proceedings across the state. Communities are seeking more time to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of these massive projects before committing to new developments.

For now, the state has green-lit the energy storage contracts, but local communities continue to debate whether to pause or restrict future data center and battery storage projects on their soil.

Sources

  • https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/huron-county-battery-project-22159797.php
  • https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/03/28/mpsc-dte-agreement-data-center-saline-township/89349996007/
  • https://michigan.gov/mpsc/commission/news-releases/2026/03/27/mpsc-goes-big-on-batteries
  • https://www.9and10news.com/2026/03/29/energy-storage-contracts-approved-to-boost-michigan-grid-reliability/
  • https://www.wilx.com/2026/03/31/michigan-communities-grapple-with-data-center-proposals-howell-town-hall/
  • https://michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/03/27/ag-efforts-to-review-dte-data-center-contracts-rejected-again-at-mpsc