I dug into the Stargate data center Michigan just approved. 1.4 gigawatts of load, roughly 11% of the state's entire retail electricity consumption. It's been controversial locally but most of the debate has been about farmland and water. I think the more interesting question is what this kind of infrastructure buildout means for the region's industrial capacity. The same grid upgrades, trades workers, and construction pipelines you need for data centers are what you need to build anything else heavy.
jbwinters•2h ago