Overview
- El-Sayed released an eight-point "terms of engagement" package that conditions approvals on zero utility rate increases, closed-loop water systems, binding community benefits, no clean-energy loopholes, and enforceable penalties.
- His campaign cited more than 15 proposals across Michigan, including a reported 1.4-gigawatt Oracle–OpenAI facility developed by Related Digital, which his team said could use more electricity than the city of Detroit.
- The framework targets investor-owned utilities DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, seeking guarantees that data centers fund their own energy demand and grid upgrades without shifting costs to households.
- Positioning the plan as a campaign differentiator, El-Sayed is competing in a three-way Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow while emphasizing that he takes no utility contributions.
- The rollout taps into growing local resistance to large data centers and rising energy bills, with El-Sayed saying he will help communities navigate negotiations as they assess project impacts.