Stopped or cancelled
Kalkaska data center idea on state land (RockLocker)
Also called: Kalkaska Go
A Traverse City carbon-storage company floated a very large data center with its own gas power plant on 1,440 acres of state land in Kalkaska County. The state would not sell the land, and most people at public forums spoke against it. The company dropped the plan in November 2025.
Where things stand: The developer dropped the plan in November 2025 after strong public pushback. The state (DNR) had already refused to sell the land.
🕒 Latest update (Nov 20, 2025): RockLocker said it would stop pursuing a data center on public land.
What we know
- 📍 WhereAbout 1,440 acres of state forest land near Island Lake Road and South River Road, Kalkaska County, Kalkaska, Kalkaska County
- 🏢 CompanyRockLocker LLC
- 🏛️ Owned byReefWorks
- 🌳 Size1,440 acres
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromA new gas power plant on site, with its carbon dioxide pumped underground into old oil and gas wells. Reports called it a campus of about 1 gigawatt.
- ❄️ CoolingPlanned air cooling plus a closed-loop geothermal system to use little water
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Which township is the 1,440-acre state land in? Early reports named Kalkaska Township for the sites studied. 🙋 I'll find out
- Has RockLocker or anyone else proposed a data center on private land in Kalkaska County since November 2025? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- March 2025Kalkaska County commissioners approved a letter of support for studying a data center.
- June 2025Kalkaska Township approved an agreement (memorandum of understanding) so research on the idea could go on.
- July 2025The Michigan DNR turned down RockLocker's request to buy the state land.
- Nov 17, 2025An overflow crowd at the first public forum, in Fife Lake, spoke mostly against the idea.
- Nov 20, 2025RockLocker said it would stop pursuing a data center on public land.
🛰️ See it from above
An aerial photo of the area.
We only know the town, so this shows the town center, not the exact site. Photos: USGS The National Map.
Where this comes from
- Kalkaska considering data center development · Interlochen Public Radio · Sept 19, 2025
- Data center explored for Kalkaska · The Ticker (Traverse City) · 2025
- 'Y'all should stop': Crowd gives cold response to Kalkaska data center idea · Interlochen Public Radio · Nov 19, 2025
- Developer pulls plug on Kalkaska data center · The Ticker (Traverse City) · Nov 20, 2025
- Kalkaska County data center project halted after public opposition · 9&10 News · Nov 20, 2025
- How easily could a big data center set up in northern Michigan? · Interlochen Public Radio · June 19, 2026
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