Google Project Cannoli: $5B 1GW Michigan AI Data Center
Status: Preliminary Site Approval (Feb 2026) / Main Announcement (March 2026) | Location: Van Buren Township (Wayne County), Michigan
Project Overview
Formally unveiled on March 17, 2026, Project Cannoli represents Google's first major hyperscale entry into Michigan. The project is notable for its massive energy footprint, requiring enough electricity to power roughly 2 million homes. To support this, Google and DTE Energy announced a "clean-firm" power agreement including 2.7 GW of new solar, battery storage, and demand response assets. Under this contract, Google will pay the full cost of all required grid, transmission, and distribution upgrades, providing an estimated $1.7 billion in "affordability benefits" to existing DTE ratepayers. Architecturally, the campus is designed to support the NVIDIA Rubin platform (announced at GTC 2026) and Google's latest TPU v6 clusters. The site will utilize between 2 and 3.6 million gallons of water daily, managed via a high-efficiency recycled water loop.
Beyond its scale, Project Cannoli signals a structural shift in hyperscale site selection, prioritizing regions with expandable grid capacity and regulatory alignment for large energy interconnections. The integration of "clean-firm" energy ensures consistent baseload availability, addressing intermittency challenges typically associated with renewable-heavy portfolios. Google’s willingness to underwrite grid modernization costs sets a precedent for future hyperscale developments, effectively accelerating utility infrastructure upgrades while minimizing rate impacts on local consumers. On the technical side, the campus is expected to deploy advanced liquid cooling and high-density rack configurations to support next-generation AI accelerators, significantly increasing compute per square foot. Additionally, the project is likely to catalyze a broader digital infrastructure ecosystem across Michigan, including fiber expansion, supplier networks, and workforce development initiatives, positioning the region as an emerging secondary hub for AI-driven data center growth in the United States.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Google Project Cannoli: $5B 1GW Michigan AI Data Center |
| Location | Van Buren Township (Wayne County), Michigan |
| Status | Preliminary Site Approval (Feb 2026) / Main Announcement (March 2026) |
| Commissioning | Initial Service: Dec 2027; Max Load Achievement: Dec 2028 |
| Total IT Load | 1,000 MW (1.0 GW) |
| Total Capacity | Hyperscale Campus (Specific building count TBD; ~3M+ sq. ft. potential) |
| Tier Level | Tier IV (AI-Native Infrastructure) |
| Project Type | Gigawatt-Scale AI Training & Cloud Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Van Buren Township |
| Population | ~30,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~4.3 million (Detroit metropolitan area) |
| City GDP | ~$1.5–2 billion |
| Per Capita Income | ~$34,000 doller |
| City Tier | Tier 3 |
| Key Strengths | Strategic location near Detroit Metropolitan Airport |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Google Cloud |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Van Buren Township / Wayne County Economic Development. |
| Construction Contractor | Panattoni Development Co. (Lead Developer) / TBD General Contractor. |
| MEP Engineering | Google Global Infrastructure Team / DTE Energy Engineering. |
| Network Connectivity | New high-capacity fiber spurs connecting to the Chicago-Detroit-Toronto corridor. |
| Power Infrastructure | 1.0 GW critical load; supported by 450MW storage and 1.6GW regional solar. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 1,000 MW (1.0 GW) |
| UPS Redundancy | $2N$ configuration with grid-scale demand response integration. |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop evaporative cooling with high-efficiency chillers. |
| Connectivity | Strategic Midwestern node providing low-latency access to the Great Lakes manufacturing hub. |
| PUE Target | < 1.10 |
| Energy Mix | 100% Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) via 2.7 GW of new DTE-managed renewables. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | March 17, 2026 |
| Construction Start | Late 2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | December 2027 |
| Full Buildout | December 2028 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $5 Billion+ |
| Funding | Alphabet Inc. Capital Expenditures / DTE Infrastructure Partnerships. |