Data Center Census

Howell, Livingston County, MI

Howell Township Data Center

Also known as Howell Township hyperscale data center

PausedDevelopers withdrew the rezoning request on Dec. 8, 2025; Planet Detroit reported they could resubmit after the township's six-month moratorium.
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating
  6. Paused

Randee LLC and Stantec Consulting Michigan sought to rezone 1,077 acres of mostly farmland north of I-96 in Howell Township for a reported $1 billion data center campus. The township and county planning commissions recommended denial, and the township board adopted a six-month data center moratorium. The developers withdrew the rezoning request in December 2025. A township trustee said Meta was the company behind the project, and local station WHMI reported Meta’s involvement as confirmed.

Key facts

Size & schedule

Site size1,077 acres [1]
19 parcels bounded by Owosso, Marr, Fleming and Warner roads (WHMI)
Buildings10 [6]
up to ten single-story structures, per DCD
Stated investment$1 billion [1]
reported figure; a township trustee estimated $9 billion for the completed facility [4]

Power

UtilityDTE Energy [7]

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Timeline

  1. Howell Township Planning Commission unanimously recommends denying the rezoning after a seven-hour meeting [2]

  2. Livingston County Planning Commission recommends against the rezoning [3]

  3. Howell Township Board unanimously adopts a six-month data center moratorium; it does not cover the pending rezoning request [4]

  4. Trustee Bob Wilson says Meta is behind the project [4]

  5. Developers withdraw the rezoning application [3]

Issues raised

  • Residents and environmental advocates raised concerns about water use and electricity costs [2]
  • Opposition petitions gathered more than 3,700 signatures [3]
  • The end user was kept confidential until after approval; a township trustee said he leaked that it was Meta [6]

Sources

  1. Data Center Moratorium Enacted In Howell Township
    WHMI 93.5 · Nov 21, 2025 · news
  2. Howell Township planners reject rezoning for massive data center
    Planet Detroit · Sep 25, 2025 · news
  3. Data center developers hit pause on $1 billion Howell Township proposal: 'The right thing to do now'
    Planet Detroit · Dec 8, 2025 · news
  4. Howell Township board OKs 6-month data center moratorium; opponents say it exempts current plan
    Michigan Advance · Nov 21, 2025 · news
  5. Howell Township Board Regular Meeting Agenda, November 20, 2025
    Howell Township · Nov 20, 2025 · government
  6. Meta reportedly behind $1bn data center in Howell County, Michigan
    DatacenterDynamics · Nov 21, 2025 · news
  7. Howell Township Data Center Win: $1B Project Withdrawn After Community Meeting on Energy and Infrastructure Impacts
    FracTracker Alliance · Jan 14, 2026 · other