A proposed advanced computing campus in Washtenaw County, Michigan, has sparked significant opposition from local officials. The project, valued at $1.25 billion, aims to establish a cutting-edge supercomputing center linked to the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. It will feature a 230,000-square-foot federal research facility, a 50,000-square-foot center for nonclassified research by university students and faculty, and a new electrical substation. Construction is slated to commence in 2028.
The initiative stems from a partnership between the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory, which entered into a five-year, $15 million research contract in 2024. This collaboration aims to advance computing technologies, including artificial intelligence, and is expected to create hundreds of jobs in research and construction. Despite these potential benefits, local authorities in Ypsilanti, the project’s proposed location, are voicing their concerns.
Local governance in Ypsilanti has taken a firm stance against the project. The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution in August 2023, urging reconsideration of the project’s site. Following suit, the Ypsilanti City Council issued a similar resolution in October 2023, highlighting apprehensions regarding the center’s involvement in nuclear weapons development.
According to a statement from Kay Jarvis, Director of Public Affairs at the University of Michigan, the project is being financed through a combination of sources: $300 million from Los Alamos National Laboratory, a $100 million grant from the state of Michigan, and $220 million from the university itself. The university will also facilitate financing for the remaining $630 million required for the project. Jarvis emphasized the partnership’s potential to enhance research capabilities in critical areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, infectious disease, and clean energy solutions.
The University of Michigan holds a unique position, as it is exempt from local zoning codes and exercises considerable regulatory autonomy. Jarvis confirmed that the university is currently evaluating two potential sites for the project, with the final location to be determined collaboratively with Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Opposition groups, including Stop the Data Center, are raising alarms about the implications of the project. Local organizer Vidhya Aravind expressed concerns regarding the classified nature of some research activities, which she argues obscures details about the project, including its environmental impact and water usage. Data centers, particularly those involved in high-performance computing, typically require significant cooling, which can vary greatly depending on the technology employed.
Aravind pointed out that while Michigan has abundant freshwater resources compared to New Mexico, the cumulative effect of multiple data center projects in the area raises questions about sustainability. “It is becoming a statewide issue that needs state-level change,” she said, emphasizing the need for a broader discussion on the rapid expansion of such facilities across the country.
As the debate continues, the future of the computing campus remains uncertain. Local officials and community members are advocating for a more transparent dialogue regarding the implications of the project, particularly given its ties to national security and the potential environmental impact.
