rbtfl

Stargate expands to Michigan: a $7bn, 1GW 'Barn' campus near Saline

Related Digital breaks ground on three buildings on 250 acres; one of five new US sites pushing Stargate to ~7GW planned and >$400bn over three years

AI·Infrastructure· active Whose Money·The Long Game ·8 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jun 25, 2026
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The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

United States

CNBC

“OpenAI and Oracle are building a Stargate data center in Michigan, with construction beginning in 2026.”

US businessread the original ↗

United States

Epoch AI

“Where the US Stargate sites stand, site by site on power and construction progress.”

AI-infrastructure analysisread the original ↗

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Summary

Stargate is expanding to Michigan with a ~$7bn, 1GW campus near Saline nicknamed "The Barn", three ~550,000-sq-ft buildings on 250 acres, developed by Related Digital, with construction starting in 2026 and 2,500+ union construction jobs. It is one of five new US sites, alongside a Vantage-built "Lighthouse" campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin (70% solar/wind/battery), that lift Stargate to ~7GW planned and >$400bn of investment over three years, run by Openai with Oracle and SoftBank. The Michigan and Wisconsin adds widen the buildout's geographic and power footprint beyond Abilene, even as circular-financing questions trail the whole program.

By the numbers

  • ~$7bn / 1GW, Stargate Michigan investment and capacity.
  • 3 × ~550,000 sq ft on 250 acres, Michigan "Barn" buildings.
  • 2,500+, union construction jobs cited for Michigan.
  • ~7GW / >$400bn, Stargate planned capacity / three-year investment after five new sites.

Why it matters

Each new Stargate site converts a headline gigawatt total into real land, grid and water demand in another US community. Michigan and Wisconsin spread the political and power risk across more states, and more local fights over what these campuses cost.

What to watch

  • Construction and power-interconnection progress at the Michigan/Wisconsin sites.
  • Whether announced gigawatts convert to energised capacity (per Epoch's tracking).
  • Local grid, jobs and incentive terms surfacing as builds proceed.

The briefing, by email