EVENTS: Aug 17, 18 & 20 Data center proposals questions in North Loop Mpls – includes prep questions (Dakota County)

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North Loop Neighborhood Association (Mpls) reports…

This week, the North Loop Neighborhood Association (NLNA), in partnership with the U of M’s Minnesota Design Center, is hosting community workshops to gather community input about the proposed data center + multi-use development at the former Star Tribune printing facility.

In advance of those workshops, the NLNA asked the potential buyer, Legacy Investing, for an interview about their plans and experience with data centers. The NLNA has not yet taken a position on the proposed development, but wanted to hear from the developer firsthand.

Here are the questions they ask (visit article for answers):

  • Why here?
  • Who’s the data center for?
  • How large will the data center be?
  • How do you address concerns about water use for cooling?
  • What about noise?
  • What about additional pressure to our power grid?
  • Why can’t the building be converted to some other use?
  • This property is zoned for “production mixed use.” If the former printing press is converted to a data center, what are your plans for the rest of the land?

This is all in preparation for upcoming community meetings…

The community workshops take place August 17, 18 and 20 from 6 to 8pm at Itasca Event Gallery, located in the back of Itasca Wine & Spirits at 706 N. 1st St. The workshops will be facilitated by faculty, graduate students and support staff from the U’s Minnesota Design Center (MDC), in an effort to thoughtfully share ideas on how to develop this large area.

MDC facilitators will summarize the week’s work into a Report to the Community, and present it to the neighborhood on Saturday, August 22 from 1 to 2:30pm at Fulton Taproom, 414 6th Ave. N. The report will also be shared with the developer and City leaders.

EVENT Oct 5, 2026: Bridging the Digital Divide Virtual Conference 2026: AI Behind and Beyond the Walls of Our Prisons and Jails

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From the NDIA listserv…

Join us for Bridging the Digital Divide Virtual Conference 2026 featuring Jeffrey Abramowitz, J.D. presenting:
Bridging the Digital Divide: AI Behind and Beyond the Walls of Our Prisons and Jails
📅 Monday, October 5, 2026
⏰ 8:00–9:00 a.m. MT
💻 Online
Explore how AI and digital literacy can expand opportunities for education, workforce readiness, and successful reentry.
Learn more & register: https://lnkd.in/g-dsWHwx

Some data centers looking at requesting exclusive use of incoming fiber to possible detriment of local communities

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Fierce Network reports on how hyperscale data centers in rural areas could impact broadband access in those areas…

Hyperscalers are prohibiting fiber off-ramps to towns and cities as they build their networks to data centers, according to a telecom attorney and a telecom investor who spoke at Mountain Connect this week in Denver.

The choice to by-pass the off-ramps is intentional. Some hyperscalers are putting clauses in their contracts with fiber builders to prohibit off-ramps to towns and cities on the fiber route.

“They control it. They’ve invested in it. They don’t want anybody else to use it,” said Casey Lide, partner with the Washington, DC law firm Keller & Heckman.

Hyperscalers are not only putting clauses in their contracts, prohibiting anyone else from tapping that conduit for fiber spurs, but they’re also prohibiting their contractors from installing shadow conduit that could be used to serve communities, said Lide.*

FCC claims Starlink has more than 7 million US subscribers

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PC Magazine reports…

A new report from the Federal Communications Commission suggests that Starlink’s growth in the US has somehow tripled, reaching over 7 million subscribers.

The 7 million figure is in Friday’s “Section 706” report from the FCC, which examines broadband access nationwide, covering fixed and mobile services. In releasing the report, the commission not only touted progress in expanding access to high-speed broadband and 5G mobile, but also highlighted the expansion of satellite internet services, including SpaceX’s Starlink.

“Satellite service is also rapidly expanding,” the 182-page report says. “Starlink alone has launched over 2,300 satellites between mid-2024 and mid-2025 and has now deployed more than 7,800 satellites—a worldwide network already with over 7 million American subscribers.”

Although it’s clear Starlink has been growing, the FCC figure blows past our expectations, considering SpaceX told the FCC in September 2025 that Starlink was serving “more than 2 million subscribers in the United States alone.” In August 2024, the number was over 1.4 million.

The article shares some explanations…

Farrar added: “They may use a different definition than the paying subscriber total quoted in SpaceX’s financial reports (e.g. people who bought a terminal, but are not currently signed up to a plan).”

It’s also possible more users, including businesses, in the US have adopted Starlink as a backup internet option, noted Tim Belfall, a director at UK-based Starlink installer Westend WiFi. For example, some customers may have bought a Starlink dish, but placed it on the $10-per-month Standby Mode, rather than pay for a regular subscription.

 

MN Star Tribue Editors put data centers on shortlist of hot topics for MN Gubernatorial candidates

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The MN Star Tribue reports…

The campaign to choose Minnesota’s next governor begins at a historical moment when the state needs more than a change in leadership. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the Republican nominee, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the DFL nominee, bring substantial experience to a campaign that will present voters with competing political philosophies and vastly different ideas and impressions about this state’s direction. That is as it should be.

But Minnesota has reached a moment when experience, slogans and prior political victories are not enough. Between now and Election Day, Klobuchar and Demuth must make a rigorous case for the job: not simply why each believes they are better prepared for the moment, but rather how each intends to govern a state that often feels as if it’s stalled at a crossroads.

The article outlines eight topics they feel are important, including data centers…

Data centers

Communities considering these projects are seeing pushback, with citizens citing data centers’ enormous demands for electricity and water, as well as the cost of the infrastructure needed to support them. The next governor will need a clear strategy for capturing data centers’ economic potential while protecting ratepayers, natural resources and communities from bearing an outsized share of data centers’ infrastructure costs.

Bemidji considers data center moratorium (Beltrami County)

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KAXE reports…

The city of Bemidji is contemplating a one-year moratorium on data centers, months after inaccurate reports claiming a project was underway there.

As Big Tech rolls out plans to build enormous data center complexes in Minnesota, like Google in Hermantown and Meta in Rosemount, at least a dozen local governments have pumped the brakes on new development via moratoriums.

Large scale data centers in other parts of the country, such as northern Virginia and Arizona, have come under public scrutiny over their local impacts. Some data center campuses cover hundreds or thousands of acres. Local residents often point to the data centers’ high consumption of electricity and water as the underlying cause of their increased electric and water bills for their homes and businesses.

Bemidji Assistant Planning Director Melissa Fahrenbruch said Monday, Aug. 10, that no developer has yet approached the city for a data center.

But she said a pause on the development of any data centers or cryptomining facilities would allow staff time to update the city’s planning and zoning codes.

There’s a decision to decide…

While no formal action was taken in Monday’s Planning Board meeting, members agreed to vote on a moratorium in September.

Info on upcoming meetings…

To the east, Carlton County is slated to host a public hearing on its proposed data center moratorium on Monday, Aug. 24.

The Bemidji Planning Board typically meets on the second Monday of the month and is slated to reconvene at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14.

EVENT Aug 17: Madonna Peltier-Yawakie talks about Turtle Island Communications on MPR News with Angela Davis

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MPR reports about an upcoming show that features former Blandin Foundation Broadband Strategy Board Madonna Peltier-Yawakie…

The number of businesses owned by Native entrepreneurs and tribal governments is growing — and they’re becoming more diverse.

Casinos are still a vital source of revenue and jobs for many tribes in Minnesota, but a range of other small businesses are also creating economic development in indigenous communities.

Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two Native business owners featured in the new MPR News series “Beyond the Bet,” exploring the diversification of Native entrepreneurship.

And, we want to hear from you.What questions do you have about doing business with Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Native American tribal nations and communities? If you’re part of a Native community and run a business, what have been your biggest challenges and successes?

Call us during the 9 a.m. hour at 651-227-6000 or 800-242-2828.

Guests:

MN Office of Broadband Development suggests using BEAD surplus funds to address rising costs 

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

This week at Mountain Connect, one topic keeps coming up in hallways, panel discussions, and private conversations: Broadband providers are increasingly discovering that building to the last unserved locations is significantly more difficult and expensive than many anticipated.

Bree Maki, executive director of Minnesota’s broadband office, said her office would support waivers to increase grant support if they made sense, suggesting NTIA use BEAD surplus funds to address rising costs and meet the goal of connecting the unserved.

CleanCore Solutions closes $100M equity raise for AI data center in Minnesota

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Investing reports…

 CleanCore Solutions Inc. (NYSE American:ZONE) announced Wednesday the closing of a $100 million public equity raise to fund its Minnesota AI data center campus.

The company stated it has approximately $140 million of project equity capital funded or committed for the Minnesota facility, including net proceeds from the equity raise and proceeds from sales of its Dogecoin holdings. CleanCore said it does not anticipate raising additional dilutive financing for the Minnesota project, expecting to fund remaining capitalization through project-level debt financing, cash flow from operations and other non-dilutive amounts.

The Minnesota campus operates under a definitive agreement with Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS) representing approximately $800 million of contracted value over an initial 10-year term, according to a press release statement. The company said aggregate contract value could exceed $3 billion if all available renewal terms are exercised.

Minnesota teen speaks about experience creating a national artificial intelligence policy

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MPR interviewed a student who was part of a national group creating a national artificial intelligence policy. It is a great look at what’s happening with AI and the views of schools and youth on using AI. It’s a reminder of the importance of digital literacy. Here’s a description of the interview, you can listen to it online…

This upcoming school year, districts across the country have a new tool they can use: A national artificial intelligence policy. It was created in July by 98 teens, representing all 50 states.

They gathered in Boston for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Day of AI, created a mock senate and drafted and passed their own legislation that helps schools navigate artificial intelligence. Representing Minnesota were students and staff from St. Cloud.

St. Cloud Tech High School student Bihmanji Acho and Principal Molly Kensy joined Minnesota Now to share more about the experience.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Chisago County Commissioners vote to impose a one-year moratorium on applications

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Chisago County Press reports...

The other public hearing that was scheduled for the Board meeting was about data centers, or high utility use developments.  The Board voted to impose a one year moratorium on applications.

Data centers need to be defined and conditions need to be drafted and reviewed to control possible negative effects.

Assistant County Attorney Jeffrey Fuge explained the moratorium is not hand-cuffed to being one year in length,  and at any time the county planning commission arrives at a well-worded ordinance it wishes to recommend, the commissioners can convene a public hearing.

The county planning commission will take the lead on writing ordinance language that will specifically address high utility use projects.  This effort addresses only the areas of the county where the county has zoning jurisdiction.

Heartland Fiber Network to Cross Minnesota

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Ingstad Media reports...

A planned 700-million-dollar fiber-optic network will pass through Minnesota as it connects Denver and Chicago. A crew is currently working in Morris and Benson.

The Heartland Fiber Project will add roughly two-thousand miles of underground fiber across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. The system will include connections around Minneapolis.

The network is designed primarily to move large amounts of data between data centers, including traffic generated by artificial-intelligence systems.

Project partners say the added capacity could also improve connectivity for businesses, schools, healthcare providers and government agencies. The announcement does not promise direct residential broadband service or identify every Minnesota community along the final route.

Construction is scheduled to continue for one to two years.

Doug Dawson looks at recent rights-or-way decisions with railroads

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Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting reports…

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals made a recent ruling that could end up eliminating one of the biggest rights-of-way issues that slow down fiber construction projects. In the case of CSX Transportation v. Zayo Group, LLC, the court ruled that the easement that CSX owns for its railroad tracks only applies to the surface of the Earth and that the railroad right-of-way does not extend either above or below the tracks.

The court said specifically that the installation of underground fiber lines or overhead fiber lines that are tall enough not to interfere with trains does not constitute “continuous trespass”. This ruling means that Zayo is free to place the fiber without the railroad company’s permission and that Zayo doesn’t have to pay any one-time or ongoing fees for the rights-of-way.

The court said that the right-of-way still belongs to the actual landowner. That’s an important distinction, because most railroad lines were granted an easement to build the railroad lines, and were not given outright ownership of the land. The land under the tracks is still owned by a local government or a private landowner. Since most fiber crossings for railroads happen where the railroad tracks cross a public road, then the state, county, or city that maintains that road still owns the actual rights-of-way and can grant it to a fiber overbuilder just like they grant rights-of-way along all public roads.

It’s an interesting decision and one, that as Doug points out, could have some loud repercussions. Permitting and rights-or-way have always been roadblocks, or at least slow-downs for providers and this is adding to the uncertainty. A whole new look at the wrong side of the tracks!

 

EVENT Sepr 16, 2026: AI Skills Jam for Older Adults: Twin Cities, MN

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Apparently, there’s a one-day event happening in 10 cities across the country on September 16. (Including the Twin Cies.) Senior Planet and OpenAI Academy are teaming up to put on an: AI Skills Jams for Older Adults, to offer hands-on events designed to help older adults learn how to use ChatGPT confidently, safely, and practically. 

Here’s more info on the session in the Twin Cities…

Please join us on September 16th for a free, in-person learning experience designed to help older adults use ChatGPT confidently, safely, and practically. This workshop is hosted by OpenAI Academy in collaboration with Senior Planet from AARP and Senior Community Services.

  1. Date: September 16
  2. Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm CT (optional Q&A and practice time until 1:00pm)
  3. Location: The Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center

What is the AI Skills Jam for Older Adults?

The AI Skills Jam for Older Adults is a nationwide, hands-on workshop that helps older adults move from curiosity to practical use. Attendees will be guided through instructions, explore everyday use cases, build skills with support from mentors, and leave with resources for continued learning.

Why attend?

  1. Free stuff! Attendance to the Jam is free. We’ll provide breakfast, OpenAI swag, 12 months free of ChatGPT Plus, and we’ll send you home with a tasty sweet treat.
  2. Hands-on practice: Join us to learn how to use ChatGPT and get hands-on practice in a safe learning environment.
  3. Beginners welcome: No coding or technical background required. Participants will get a guided introduction to ChatGPT.
  4. Learn from mentors and peers: Get support from trained OpenAI facilitators and mentors, and learn alongside peers in your community.

How to Register:

Registration takes ~5 minutes: Please click the blue “Register” button on the right to complete the form. Need help? Call the Senior Planet from AARP hotline at 888-713-3495 (MON-FRI 9am-8pm / SAT 9am-2pm ET) to register by phone, or reach out to us via email at jam@openai.com.

We can’t wait to learn and jam with you!

Register!

 

EVENT Sept 29, 2026: Rural Voice Townhall – Topic: Data Centers: Facts, Fiction and the Future in Faribault (Rice County)

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The Faribault Daily News reports…

The Rural Voice town hall series, designed to elevate conversations from across Greater Minnesota, returns for its fifth season this September. Moderated by Minnesota Public Radio’s Kerri Miller, the 2026 series features a new lineup of free, in-person discussions exploring some of the biggest opportunities and challenges shaping the future of rural Minnesota — from workforce housing and retaining local talent to strengthening community belonging, revitalizing Main Streets and understanding the impacts of data centers.

More details…

Each discussion is recorded and will be played a week later on Minnesota Public Radio.

Tuesday, Sept. 29 — Faribault

Topic: Data Centers: Facts, Fiction and the Future

Location: Cork and Pints

Doors open at 5 p.m.

Discussion from 6-7:30 p.m., followed by a reception.