In a major milestone for Michigan’s energy and digital infrastructure, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved a 1,332 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio for DTE Electric on March 27, 2026. The portfolio includes 332 MW of battery storage directly and contractually tied to the $16 billion Oracle‑OpenAI/Related Digital AI data center campus in Saline Township, Washtenaw County, whose financing is nearing completion, while the remaining capacity enhances grid reliability and renewable energy integration across the state.

The BESS portfolio is the critical enabling infrastructure for the $16B data center. The 332 MW batteries are not “nice-to-have” grid assets — they were specifically negotiated, funded, and approved as part of the data-center deal so the massive AI load can be served reliably while protecting Michigan ratepayers.

With this approval, DTE’s total utility-scale storage capacity exceeds 2.6 GW, positioning the utility among national leaders in grid-scale energy storage. The portfolio represents one of the largest single-day storage approvals in Michigan’s history.

DTE Electric owns and operates all the battery facilities (including the 332 MW). Oracle’s subsidiary, Green Chile Ventures LLC, pays 100% of the construction and operating costs for the data-center-specific batteries under a 15-year Energy Storage Agreement (ESA). Oracle also provides full credit support and receives any market revenues from the batteries when they operate in the wholesale market.

This structure was baked into the original special contracts MPSC approved in December 2025 (Docket U-21990) — exactly to prevent residential ratepayers from subsidizing the project.

Two-Part Portfolio: Grid Reliability and High-Demand Support

The six projects are structured into two groups: supporting general grid reliability and meeting high-demand needs.

Grid Reliability Projects (1,000 MW)

Approved under Docket U-21193, these projects address system stability and renewable integration:

450 MW Big Mitten Energy Center (Huron County) — tolling agreement with an independent developer

350 MW Monroe I Energy Center (Monroe County) — DTE-owned and operated

200 MW Fermi Energy Center (Monroe County) — DTE-owned and operated

These assets store excess generation and discharge during peak periods, helping balance supply and demand across Michigan’s grid.

Portfolio to Support Oracle’s AI Data Center (332 MW)

The remaining three projects, approved under Docket U-21990, are directly linked to the Oracle AI campus:

132 MW Fish Creek Energy Center

100 MW Cold Creek Energy Center

100 MW Pine River Energy Center

These batteries are funded through long-term contracts with the data center, which recently secured close to $16 billion in financing. Contracts include demand guarantees, termination provisions, and collateral requirements, ensuring that residential customers are not responsible for costs.

While supporting the Oracle campus, these assets remain multi-purpose, able to contribute to grid reliability and flexible load management.

Strategic Implications for Michigan

The 1.3 GW portfolio highlights Michigan’s leadership in utility-scale storage and grid modernization. By pairing large-scale batteries with renewable energy and high-demand infrastructure, DTE is:

Enhancing system reliability and resilience

Supporting renewable energy integration

Providing contract-backed capacity for commercial and industrial customers

Preparing infrastructure for future high-demand facilities

Regulators declined to reopen or modify the agreements, clearing the projects for construction and signaling strong support for Michigan’s energy and digital infrastructure growth.

Building a Smarter, More Flexible Grid

Michigan’s newly approved battery assets demonstrate how modern energy planning can meet multiple objectives simultaneously: strengthening the grid, integrating clean energy, and supporting high-demand digital infrastructure like AI data centers.

The portfolio’s contractual link to the Oracle campus illustrates a new model of coordinated grid and digital infrastructure planning—ensuring reliable power for computationally intensive facilities without compromising service for residents or businesses.

Michigan Adds 1,332 MW of Battery Storage

Overview

• The MPSC approved six battery energy storage projects for DTE Electric Co., totaling 1,332 MW of new capacity
• Approvals advance Michigan’s energy transition and strengthen grid reliability
• DTE Electric’s total storage portfolio now reaches 2,606 MW — among the largest utility energy storage portfolios in the country

Approved Projects

• 450 MW — Big Mitten Energy Center, Huron County (20-year tolling agreement)
• 350 MW — Monroe I Energy Center, Monroe County (self-build)
• 200 MW — Fermi Energy Center, Monroe County (self-build)
• 132 MW — Fish Creek Energy Center (company-owned)
• 100 MW — Cold Creek Energy Center (company-owned)
• 100 MW — Pine River Energy Center (company-owned)

Purpose 1: Integrated Resource Plan Compliance — 1,000 MW

• Big Mitten, Monroe I, and Fermi Energy Centers fulfill DTE’s 2023 IRP settlement agreement
• The settlement required a minimum of 850 MW of energy storage to meet electric capacity needs
• The broader IRP also calls for 15,000 MW of new solar and wind generation across Michigan

Purpose 2: Data Center Energy Storage — 332 MW

• Fish Creek, Cold Creek, and Pine River are the first tranche of storage tied to Green Chile Ventures LLC’s 1,383 MW data center in Saline Township, Washtenaw County
• Data center approved by MPSC on December 18, 2025
• Mandatory safeguards are in place — residential and other customers will not subsidize data center costs
• Green Chile Ventures bears all costs over a 15-year period
• Green Chile receives the value of any wholesale market revenues from the facilities
• DTE Electric develops, owns, and operates the facilities to benefit the broader grid
• Total data center storage requirement exceeds the capacity of the 1,150 MW Blue Water Energy Center — Michigan’s most recently built natural gas plant, approved in 2018

Why Battery Energy Storage Matters

• Stores excess energy when it is cheapest to produce
• Releases stored energy during periods of peak demand
• Strengthens grid resilience and accelerates the shift to cleaner electricity
• Renewable energy paired with storage is significantly cheaper than coal or natural gas, reducing costs for customers

Project Team

• DTE Electric – Owner, operator, and developer of the 1,332 MW BESS portfolio (including 332 MW for the Oracle campus).
• Green Chile Ventures LLC – Oracle subsidiary funding 100% of the 332 MW data-center-specific BESS.
• Related Digital – Lead developer of the >1 GW Oracle AI campus in Saline Township.
• Oracle – Strategic end-user and parent of Green Chile Ventures.
• OpenAI – Strategic partner in the “Stargate” AI initiative at the campus.
• Blackstone – Equity investor in the ~$16 B data center financing.
• Bank of America – Lead arranger of debt financing for the campus.
• Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) – Regulator; approved the 1,332 MW BESS portfolio on March 27, 2026 (Dockets U-21193 & U-21990).