‘Big Gretch Out’? — Sure, but Whitmer remains out of touch on data center issue

By: Jon King

Outlets: Michigan Advance

Published: February 26, 2026

Words: 847

Last Updated: 2 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her final State of the State address Wednesday, she touched on early literacy, housing reform and other domestic priorities. However she conspicuously ducked a mounting crisis that’s heating up in communities across the state: the explosive growth of hyperscale data centers and the swelling opposition they’re generating.

Whitmer closed her address with a confident sign-off — “Big Gretch Out” — a nod to the persona that has become part …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us