USA, Michigan, Van Buren Township: Van Buren Township’s planning commission has granted preliminary approval for a substation and switching station linked to Google’s planned 1-GW data centre, following a lengthy five-hour public meeting attended by around 100 residents.
The project, described in township documents as part of “Project Cannoli”, will support a data centre expected to use electricity equivalent to around 800,000 homes. It is also projected to consume between 2 million and 3.6 million gallons of water per day and will occupy about 114 ha (282 acres).
The substation and switching station will be developed by DTE Energy and ITC Holdings and will cover around 3.6 ha (nine acres) within the wider site.
Residents voiced strong concerns during the meeting, including fears about noise, property values, infrastructure strain, and the potential use of eminent domain. A petition opposing the project gathered nearly 1,700 signatures.
Developers said no property would be taken and that public rights of way would be used for underground cables. ITC representatives also stated they would put this assurance in writing. The switching station, they added, would not generate noise as it will not include transformers, though visible infrastructure such as 80-foot “h-frames” will remain above berms and tree lines.
Officials and developers argued that the project meets zoning requirements and that legal agreements ensure Google covers the full cost of infrastructure, including generation, transmission and distribution upgrades. The data centre will be supported by energy storage, renewable generation and demand response systems.
Despite opposition, the commission rejected a motion to deny approval, instead granting preliminary site plan approval for the substation.
Source: Planet Detroit
