Office of Broadband Development Update Nov 4 2026: MN Task Force meets Nov 12, BEAD updates

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From the Office of Broadband Development…

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates

  • Governor’s Broadband Task Force, November meeting plans
  • Register today! Broadband Development Training Series: Navigating PLUS (Permitting, Land Use, and State Systems)
  • Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
  • Line Extension Connection Program registration open for residents and businesses
  • Broadband in the news

Governor’s Broadband Task Force, November meeting plans

The Broadband Task Force will be meeting on Thursday November 12 at 10 a.m. CT. This meeting will be held virtually and is open to anyone from the public to attend. The Teams link to join the meeting will be included at the top of the meeting agenda.

Information on this and past meetings can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.

Register today! Broadband Development Training Series: Navigating PLUS (Permitting, Land Use, and State Systems)

Thursday December 3, 10 a.m. CT, join OBD and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in a new addition to the PLUS webinar series, Untangling Railroad Rights‑of‑Way Disputes in Minnesota. Michelle Rebholz, Supervisor of Economic Analysis (Energy and Telecom) Minnesota PUC, will provide an overview of railroad rights of way disputes in Minnesota and the Public Utilities Commission’s role in the process.

This session will be recorded and posted to the OBD Webinars and Recorded Events webpage.

Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates

New resources on BEAD from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) include updated BEAD FAQs (10/23/2026).

On September 3, 2026, NTIA announced a new BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice that introduces an updated process for BEAD implementation of new locations determined to be eligible for BEAD. States await additional guidance from NTIA and anticipate the location list being available sometime in November 2026. Currently, the estimated timeline (subject to change from NTIA) for a second BOB Round is:

Task

Duration
Initial review of the NTIA list 30 days
Publication window 7 days
Challenge period 30 days
Challenge adjudication 30 days
NTIA review of the list and set funding amount Duration TBA by NTIA
Second Benefit of the Bargain round 90 days
NTIA review of Supplemental Deployment Plan 90 days

Please contact OBD at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us with questions on the federal BEAD program in Minnesota.

Line Extension Connection Program registration open for residents and businesses

Registration remains open for residents and businesses for future rounds of the Line Extension Connection Program webpage.

For assistance completing the application, or to request a paper form to complete, please call 651-259-7610 or email the office at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us.

Broadband in the news

Happy belated National Internet Day from October 29! Read more about OBD’s effort to connect communities, policy-makers, providers, regional support organizations, and state and federal programs with each other and the resources they need to improve broadband access and use in Minnesota on OBD’s What We Do webpage.

New Mayor in Pine Island makes Google data center part of his workplan (Goodhue County)

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Post Bulletin reports...

A new mayor in Pine Island hopes to bring a new direction to the city’s biggest issue: the proposed Google data center.

Mark E. Lang earned 66.4% of the vote Tuesday, Nov. 3, during the city’s elections. Brandi Veith Staloch, who took over last summer when former mayor David Friese stepped down, earned 32.9% of the vote, unofficially.

Lang, who said he wanted to get a better deal for the city when it came to the data center, will be joined by at least one new city council member, Tosca Wohl.

He will need help…

All three available seats — the two council seats and the mayoral post — would have had to be swept by those opposed to the data center in order to flip the balance of power in Pine Island.

City of Eagan is suing IronGate Data Center (Dakota County)

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Sun This Week reports...

The city of Eagan is suing data center company Eagan Capital LLC, due to alleged code violations at IronGate Data Center, according to Mayor Mike Maguire’s update at the Nov. 2 City Council meeting.

“The city is taking legal action regarding the continued operation of four temporary chillers at the Eagan Capital facility at 3199 Pilot Knob Road. Eagan Capital has been operating without the required permits and approvals. The city is currently in the process of filing a complaint with the court, and will then file a motion for an injunction to stop the operations of the chillers,” Maguire said.

“We will continue to follow the legal process to ensure our regulations are enforced consistently. We will provide additional information when there are developments that can be shared publicly,” Maguire added.

Local residents who live north of the data center facility across Tower View Road have complained of noise and vibrations from the chillers and have waited a long time for this process to take place, Maguire said.

The article details the history between the City and IronGate and mentions other issues…

This isn’t the only lawsuit regarding data centers in Eagan.

Eagan Capital filed a lawsuit June 15 against Eagan to void the city’s one-year data center moratorium, calling it unlawful and ill-advised.

The City Council unanimously passed a moratorium on development of new data centers within 500 feet of residential homes or that use more than 20 megawatts of electricity. The moratorium is active until Feb. 17, 2027, or earlier if the council decides to end it.

Faribault Planning Commission approves data center standards goes to City Council Nov 24 (Rice County)

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The Faribault Daily News reports…

In front of a packed room, the Faribault planning commission voted unanimously to approve the data center standards it developed over eight work sessions. Recommendations will now be presented to the Faribault City Council at a meeting on Nov. 24.

If passed, this would make a conditional use permit mandatory for any data center in Faribault. This allows the city to set and enforce standards before and after a developer moves into town. Data centers are fully permitted in town right now, meaning there are no specific regulations that are possible to enforce until these recommendations are approved.

A look at data center movement, policies and issues in each Minnesota County (2026)

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Data centers are not new. In 2011, Duluth emphasized it’s inherent (cold) attributes that made it perfect place for Google a data center. In 2014, Eagan celebrated a new data center coming to the area. Back then, communities wanted data centers to create a need for better broadband, but data centers were a different game back then. The data centers we’re seeing in the news today are often hyperscale data centers. I’ll borrow from Cisco for a definition:

A hyperscale data center is a large-scale digital infrastructure platform engineered to support massive data processing and storage requirements. While the term is most commonly associated with major public cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, hyperscale refers specifically to an architectural approach that allows for extreme scalability and high performance

Interest in data centers has been growing over the last 12-18 months. We see articles in local and national new sources. We see our friends and family chiming in on social media. I have tried to track articles in Minnesota and in preparation for the annual MN Broadband County Profiles.

Here are the tools I’ve used:

  • Current data centers: There are at least three sources that track data centers around the US: KADOA, Aterio and Data Center Maps. If you are interested in a specific project, it would be worth checking out each because they provide different data sets. I have used Data Center Maps below to track data centers because it was the middle in terms of numbers. Once I dug in, I found that their definition of “Minneapolis” encompassed several counties. Also, often several locations will have the same address, so I understand the fluctuation in number among the tools.
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: Gridcensus is a site selection tool that tracks locations suitable for prospective data centers.
  • Current Activity: I have used the Blandin on Broadband blog and searches online.

This is an ongoing venture and one that isn’t always discussed publicly, so if you have corrections or update, please feel free to send it to me at atreacy@treacyinfo.com. Soon, I will write more about what I learned about data center, online tools and communities in the process of compiling these results.

Data Center by County

Aitkin

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 37
  • Current activity:
    The Aitkin Age reports that, “No major data center projects are currently proposed or planned in Aitkin County” but that mention alone indicates on the minds of some residents.

Anoka

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 55
  • Current activity:
    Anoka County does not appear to currently have any data centers or conversations about data centers. Discussions of data centers are happening with Lino Lakes City Council however, in October 2026, they announced that no conversations were happening with potential data center clients.

Becker

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 21
  • Current activity:
    Becker County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers. (Becker City does, but that’s in Sherburne County.)

Beltrami

Benton

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 55
  • Current activity:
    Benton County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers.

Big Stone

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 12
  • Current activity:
    Big Stone County Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on new data centers in August 2026.

Blue Earth

Brown

Carlton

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 51
  • Current activity:
    Carlton County placed a one-year moratorium and ordinance on data centers starting Aug 2026, in part to allow time for the completion of the County’s Comprehensive Land Use Planning, which is due due back to the board by February 2027.

Carver

  • Current data centers: 3 ( 63 were listed as in Mpls, but 3 actually in Carver County)
    • Flexential Minneapolis – Chaska Data Center – $0 Setup fees
      Flexential
      3500 Lyman Blvd
      55318 Chaska
      Minnesota, USA
      Carver County
    • LIGHTEDGE
      LightEdge
      1708 West Creek Lane
      55318Chaska
      Minnesota, USA
      Carver County
    • CloudHQ MSP1
      CloudHQ
      2007 Schoolmaster Dr
      55318Chaska
      Minnesota, USA
      Carver County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 12
  • Current activity:
    While, I haven’t found anything on a county-wide decision on data centers, the Carver City Council enacted a one-year moratorium on data center construction to study potential zoning, noise, water, and electrical grid impacts in April 2026. Chaska has a website that tracks development in the city, including Cloud HQ. Currently Chaska is the only city in Carver County that seems to have had interactions with data centers.
  • Cass
    Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 29
  • Current activity:
    Cass County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers.

Chippewa

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 19
  • Current activity:
    Chippewa County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers.

Chisago

Clay

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 77
  • Current activity:
    Clay County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor policies for data centers. However, data centers were a hot topics in a 2026 debate between Clay County Commission candidates.

Clearwater

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 18
  • Current activity:
    Clearwater County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor policiess for data centers.

Cook

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 38
  • Current activity:
    Cook County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor policiess for data centers.

Cottonwood

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 38
  • Current activity:
    Cottonwood County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor policiess for data centers.There is a proposed data center in Mountain Lake. Public meetings were held starting Oct 2025, but the public displayed displeasure in July 2026.

Crow Wing

Dakota

  • Current data centers: 21 ( 63were listed as in Mpls, but 21 actually in Dakota County)
    • Meta Rosemount – Building 1
      Meta
      1367 145st St E
      55068 Rosemount
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Meta Rosemount – Building 2
      Meta
      1367 145st St E
      55068 Rosemount
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 11
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 11
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Connect Apple Valley
      Connect Data Centers by Oppidan
      150th St W & Pilot Knob Rd
      55124Apple Valley
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 10
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 10
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 7
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 7
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 4
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 4
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 9
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 9
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 6
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 6
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 5
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 5
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • DataBank MSP2 – East Twin Cities
      DataBank
      3255 Neil Armstrong Boulevard
      55121Eagan
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 1
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 1
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 2
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 2
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 12
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 12
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 8
      Tract
      2806 225th St W
      Building 8
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park – Building 3
      Tract
      2830 220th St W
      Building 3
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • CENTRA Minneapolis (MSP1)
      CENTRA
      3640 Nasseff Way
      55123Eagan
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Unisys Eagan DC
      Swervo Development Corp.
      3199 Pilot Knob Rd.
      55121Eagan
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Connect Eagan
      Connect Data Centers by Oppidan
      550 Opperman Dr
      55123Eagan
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Farmington Technology Park
      Tract
      2830 220th St W / 2806 225th St W
      55024Farmington
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
    • Meta Rosemount Campus
      Meta
      1367 145th St E
      55068Rosemount
      Minnesota, USA
      Dakota County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 374
  • Current activity:
    Dakota County has long been a champion for traditional data centers. It is still an area that’s attractive to data centers. The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce has voiced support for data centers and AI. There have also been local residents speak up against data centers. In August 2026, MN Women’s Press and CRDCD hosted a forum on data centers, which is an interesting look at a range of local perspectives. Eagan has faced a lawsuit over their data center moratorium(through Feb 2027), Farmington has also had issues, while Inver Grove Heights has approved data center site plans just a couple months after instituting a one-year data center moratorium. Apple Valley has a one-year moratorium on data centers (through July 2027). Hastings established a one-year moratorium where no data center may be established, expanded or re-established anywhere in Hastings until Aug 2027 unless the council rescinds it earlier. Northfield moved to ban data centers in May 2026, then added data centers to the City Council meeting agenda in September and decided to look into tiered regulation in October, but started with a reduction in the required setback between data-processing facilities and parks or trails from roughly three-quarters of a mile to 200 feet. Rosemount instituted a one-year moratorium for data centers in April 2026.

Dodge

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Dodge County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers. Dodge County is close to Pine Island, which is part of a Google data center debate. The subject of data centers did come up in a public forum for candidates in October 2026 and came up at Olmsted and Dodge County forum hosted by Farmers Unions.

Douglas

  • Current data centers: 1
    • Vaultas Alexandria
      Vaultas
      720 Hawthorne St
      56308Alexandria
      Minnesota, USA
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 21
  • Current activity:
    Cottonwood County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor policies for data centers. Douglas County Commissioners discussed data centers in September 2026. Vaultas has been in Alexandria since 2011. (Reading the post from 2011, is a glimpse at views of data centers 15 years ago.)

Faribault

  • Current data centers: 1
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 32
  • Current activity:
    Faribault County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers. (Faribault city is not located in Faribault County.) Blue Earth is in Faribault County and currently has two data centers operating, and next year will be adding a third one, according to Blue Earth Light and Water. The article mentions that one data center is just off Highway 169 next door to Cabin Coffee and the other is in the West Industrial Park.

Fillmore

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 34
  • Current activity:
    Fillmore County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers. However, Fillmore County’s Harmony has been in discussions about data centers for a while; on November 10, the City Council will discuss a proposed city ordinance. It establishes clear regulatory standards for the development and operation of data center facilities within the city by protecting public health and safety while preserving Harmony’s rural character and environmental resources. In October 2026, Caledonia City Council approved a one-year data center moratorium.

Freeborn

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 36
  • Current activity:
    In August 2026, Freeborn County renewed a one-year moratorium on data centers.

Goodhue

  • Current data centers: 1
    • Cannon Falls Technology Park
      Tract
      US-52 & Rochester Blvd
      55065Randolph Township
      Minnesota, USA
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 33
  • Current activity:
    Goodhue County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers. Goodhue County’s Pine Island is home to Google’s proposed data centers, aka Project Skyway. (Google posted about the project in Feb 2026.) Construction was set to begin in July, but the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) filed a lawsuit, arguing that the original environmental review of the proposal wasn’t thorough enough. In late October, the Pine Island City Council settled the issue by asking Google for a more-robust environmental review.

Grant

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: fewer than 5
  • Current activity:
    Grant County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers.

Hennepin

  • Current data centers: 21 (63 were listed as in Mpls, but many of those locations were actually in different counties)
    • Cologix MIN1
      Cologix
      511 11th Ave South
      Suite 100
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Cologix MIN2
      Cologix
      511 11th Ave S
      Suite 400
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Cologix MIN3
      Cologix
      511 11th Ave S
      Suite 200
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Cologix MIN4
      Cologix
      511 11th Ave S
      Suite 211
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Cologix MIN5
      Cologix
      511 11th Ave S
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • US Signal Minneapolis MN01
      US Signal Company, LLC
      10290 W 70th St
      55344Eden Prairie
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • T5 Data Centers – T5@Minneapolis
      T5 Data Centers
      1001 3rd Ave S
      55404Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • EdgeConneX Minneapolis – EDCMSP01
      EdgeConneX
      6875 Shady Oak Rd
      55344Eden Prairie
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • DataBank MSP1 – West Twin Cities
      DataBank
      7700 France Ave S
      55435Edina
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • DataBank MSP3 – Brooklyn Park
      DataBank
      8111 Oxbow Creek Dr N
      55445Brooklyn Park
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • DataBank MSP4 – Downtown
      DataBank
      511 11th Avenue S
      55145Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Lumen Minneapolis 1
      Lumen
      222 S 9th Street
      55402Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Cogent Data Center – Minneapolis
      Cogent Communications, Inc.
      1001 3rd Ave S
      Suite 502
      55404Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Fidium Edina
      Fidium
      7700 France Avenue
      55435Edina
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • 511 Building
      Unknown Company
      511 11th Avenue South
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Lumen Minnetonka 1
      Lumen
      5500 Feltl Rd
      55343Minnetonka
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Lumen Minneapolis 3
      Lumen
      715 N 2nd Street
      55401Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • 800 First Street North
      Legacy Investing
      800 N 1st St
      55401Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • US Internet Minnetonka
      US Internet
      12450 Wayzata Blvd
      55305Minnetonka
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • DataBank – 10300 6th Ave
      DataBank
      10300 6th Ave
      55441Plymouth
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • IronGate Downtown Minneapolis
      IronGate Data Centers
      110n N 1st St
      55401Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Trustwave NOC
      Trustwave Holdings, Inc.
      7599 Corporate Way
      55344Eden Prairie
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • US Internet Robbinsdale
      US Internet
      3819 W Broadway
      55422Robbinsdale
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • 250 Marquette Avenue
      KBS Capital Markets Group, LLC
      250 Marquette Avenue
      55401Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Aureon Minneapolis
      Aureon Networks
      511 11th Ave S
      55415Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Uniti Minneapolis
      Uniti Wholesale
      401 2nd Ave S
      55401Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Lumen Minnetonka 2
      Lumen
      5480 Feltl Rd
      55343Minnetonka
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • ABcom
      ABcom
      213 Old Highway 8 SW
      55112New Brighton
      Minnesota, USA
      Hennepin County
    • Lumen Minneapolis 2
      Lumen
      511 11 Avenue South
      55415 Minneapolis
      Minnesota, USA
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 237
  • Current activity:
    Hennepin County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place or in discussion but cities within Hennepin County are working on policies and data centers are happening in Hennepin County. Plymouth City Council approved one-year moratorium on new data centers in September 2026. Minnetrista City Council approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in August 2026. In May, Minneapolis approved a six-month data center moratorium. Minneapolis officials hosted conversations on data centers and zoning that drew a lot of attention in July, 2026. Coincidentally, in September 2026, data center developers withdrew a deal proposed for Star Tribune building in Minneapolis earlier in the summer. In October 2026, Minneapolis Planning Commission works on adopting zoning regulations specifically designed for modern data centers.

Houston

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 22
  • Current activity:
    Houston County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers. But conversations have been happening with Fillmore County and in July 2026, Houston Commissioners decide not to establish a data center moratorium yet.

Hubbard

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 22
  • Current activity:
    Hubbard County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers.

Isanti

  • Current data centers: 2
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 10
  • Current activity:
    Isanti County does not appear to currently have any data center policies in place but cities within Isanti County are working on policies and data centers. Isanti City approved a 30-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers in July, 2026 but pared that down in one year in August. Also in August, the Cambridge City Council unanimously approved the one-year moratorium on data centers.

Itasca

Jackson

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 34
  • Current activity:
    Jackson County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Kanabec

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 12
  • Current activity:
    Kanabec County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, but there is a Change Petition to ban data centers in the community.

Kandiyohi

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 42
  • Current activity:
    Kandiyohi County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Kittson

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 7
  • Current activity:
    Kittson County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Koochiching

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 15
  • Current activity:
    Koochiching County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Lac qui Parle

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Lac qui Parle County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Lake

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 18
  • Current activity:
    Lake County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Lake of the Woods

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 17
  • Current activity:
    Lake of the Woods County does not appear to have any data centers nor policies for data centers.

Le Sueur

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 31
  • Current activity:
    Le Sueur County announced a one-year moratorium on data centers in June 2026.

Lincoln

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 14
  • Current activity:
    Lincoln County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Lyon

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 47
  • Current activity:
    Lyon County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Mahnomen

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 13
  • Current activity:
    Mahnomen County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Marshall

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 7
  • Current activity:
    Marshall County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Martin

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 42
  • Current activity:
    Martin County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

McLeod

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 38
  • Current activity:
    McLeod County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place but cities within the county are approving data center and/or working on policies. Glencoe City Council approved a development agreement with Revolve Labs July 20, 2026. Some community members have questions about the plans. Revolve Labs has launched a new website aimed at answering those questions. Hutchinson City Council approved a data center in Aug 2026; the Council has a FAQ on the project.

Meeker

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 20
  • Current activity:
    Meeker County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Mille Lacs

Current data centers: 0

Sites listed on Gridcensus: 14

Current activity:
Meeker County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening. The Mill Lacs Messenger notes, “No major data center projects are currently proposed or planned in Mille Lacs County.”

Morrison

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 17
  • Current activity:
    Morrison County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place, nor are discussions happening.

Mower

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 24
  • Current activity:
    Mower County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place. There was a Data Center Basics 101 class in Mower County in January 2026, so some folks must be thinking about data centers.

Murray

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 8
  • Current activity:
    Murray County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place. However, PowerOn Midwest is planning to build a multi-billion dollar power infrastructure in SD and MN (Murray County specifically). While that doesn’t necessarily mean anything for a data center, it might catch the eye of developers.

Nicollet

Nobles

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 19
  • Current activity:
    Nobles County rejected a data center proposal in April 2026 by denying a zoning change that would have permitted large-scale data centers in agricultural preservation areas.

Norman

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 5
  • Current activity:
    Norman County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Olmsted
Current data centers: 0

Sites listed on Gridcensus: 65

Current activity:
Olmsted County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place. However, data centers came up at Olmsted and Dodge County forum hosted by Farmers Unions in October 2026. Municipalities in Olmsted County don’t appear to have policies related to data centers but Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce has chimed in to support the proposed Google data center project in Pine Island in Goodhue County. So, folks in the county are talking about data centers.

Otter Tail

Pennington

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Olmsted County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place. However, Thief River Falls City Council held a public meeting on data centers in September, 2026 to talk about an 18-month moratorium.

Pine

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 14
  • Current activity:
    Pine County extended data center moratorium to 12 months in August 2026.

Pipestone

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 12
  • Current activity:
    Pipestone County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place. However, an October letter to the editor in the Pipestone County Star asking policymakers to consider issues and suspicions he has seen in the community. consider 

Polk

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Polk County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Pope

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 21
  • Current activity:
    Pope County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Ramsey

  • Current data centers: 0
    • DirectTV Oakdale
      DirecTV
      6287 32nd St N
      55128Oakdale
      Minnesota, USA
    • H5 Data Centers Minneapolis
      H5 Data Centers
      1125 Energy Park Dr
      55108Saint Paul
      Minnesota, USA
    • QLevr Inver Grove Heights
      Qlevr Data Centers
      5890 Carmen Ave E
      55076Inver Grove Heights
      Minnesota, USA
    • IronGate Twin Cities West
      IronGate Data Centers
      500 Bielenberg Dr
      55402St. Paul
      Minnesota, USA
      Ramsey County
    • Cogent Data Center – St. Paul
      Cogent Communications, Inc.
      847 Earl St
      55106 St Paul
      Minnesota, USA
      Ramsey County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 171
  • Current activity:
    Ramsey County is home to three data centers. Ramsey County does not have any county-wide zoning code exclusively regulating data centers. Cities within Ramsey County, such as St Paul, are having discussions.

Red Lake

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: fewer than 5
  • Current activity:
    Red Lake County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Redwood

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 23
  • Current activity:
    Redwood County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Renville

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 21
  • Current activity:
    Renville County does not appear to currently have any data centers policies in place.

Rice

  • Current data centers: 7
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 4
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Train
      55021 Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 2
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 6
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 3
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 5
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis – Building 1
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
    • Archer Minneapolis Campus
      Archer Datacenters
      15339 Acorn Trail
      55021Faribault
      Minnesota, USA
      Rice County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 34
  • Current activity:
    Rice County does not appear to have any data centers policies in place. However, Rice County’s Faribault is a location for a proposed data center, which has had a winding journey in the process. In June 2026, an Appeals court said the City must undertake a more thorough environmental review of a proposed data center, after that the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) took issue with the fact that they initially did not require an Environmental Impact Statement. Now, after deciding to focus on City standards, the city will hold a public discussion about data center ordinances on Nov 18.
    Also in May 206, Lonsdale City Council passed a one-year moratorium on data centers. Northfield moved to ban data centers in May 2026, then added data centers to the City Council meeting agenda in September and decided to look into tiered regulation in October, but started with a reduction in the required setback between data-processing facilities and parks or trails from roughly three-quarters of a mile to 200 feet.

Rock

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 31
  • Current activity:
    Rock County does not appear to have any data centers nor plans for data centers. (Rock County, WI is having major discussions about data centers.)

Roseau

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 19
  • Current activity:
    Rock County does not appear to currently have any data centers nor plans for data centers.

Scott

  • Current data centers: 3
    • Csquare – Minneapolis MSP1-A
      Csquare
      4450 Dean Lakes Blvd
      55413Shakopee
      Minnesota, USA
      Scott County
    • Csquare – Minneapolis MSP1-B
      Csquare
      4450 Dean Lakes Blvd
      55413Shakopee
      Scott County
    • Csquare – Minneapolis MSP1 Campus
      Csquare
      4450 Dean Lakes Blvd
      55413Shakopee
      Minnesota, USA
      Scott County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 36
  • Current activity:
    Scott County does not appear to have any data centers policies in place. However, Scott County’s City of Shakopee is home operational and proposed CSquare Minneapolis data centers. Shakopee has a website of FAQs on data centers, including information on why the City Council cannot stop data center. Another town, Elko New Market has a temporary moratorium from May 2026-2027.

Sherburne

  • Current data centers: 1
    • Amazon AWS – Sherco Power Plant
      Amazon AWS
      within Sherco Power Plant
      Becker
      Minnesota, USA
      Sherburne County
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 57
  • Current activity:
    Sherburne County does not appear to have any data centers policies in place, however, the County’s Economic Development 5-year Strategic Plan (2026–2030) lists “attracting data center development” as a goal. In July 2026, Sherburne County’s Elk River announced that the data center that had been interested in locating into the area withdrew their application, after Elk River City Council unanimously rejected a proposed zoning amendment. Soon after (Aug 3), Elk River City Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data center development.

Sibley

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 7
  • Current activity:
    Rock County does not appear to have any data centers nor data centers policies in place.

St. Louis

  • Current data centers: 6
    • Ark Data Centers Duluth 1
      Ark Data Centers
      3401 Technology Drive
      55811Duluth
      Minnesota, USA
    • Ark Data Centers Duluth 2
      Ark Data Centers
      421 N. 6th Ave. East
      55805Duluth
      Minnesota, USA
    • Google Hermantown Campus
      Google
      Midway Rd & Morris Thomas Rd
      55810Hermantown
      Minnesota, USA
    • Google Hermantown – Building 3
      Google
      Midway Rd & Morris Thomas Rd
      55810Hermantown
      Minnesota, USA
    • Google Hermantown – Building 1
      Google
      Midway Rd & Morris Thomas Rd
      55810Hermantown
      Minnesota, USA
    • Google Hermantown – Building 2
      Google
      Midway Rd & Morris Thomas Rd
      55810Hermantown
      Minnesota, USA
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 179
  • Current activity:
    In St Louis County, data center development is managed through county zoning classifications, municipal agreements, and existing state environmental and land-use laws. St Louis County’s Hermantown is a hot topic in Minnesota because of the proposed Google data center that received unanimous approval from the City Council to move ahead on Oct 30, 2026. The project has received public scrutiny. Google decided they would no longer seek tax breaks.

Stearns

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 82
  • Current activity:
    Stearns County does not appear to have any data centers nor plans for data centers, however cities within Stearns County are looking at options.  St. Cloud City Council agreed without opposition, in October 2026, to set a public hearing on a new ordinance that would place restrictions on new hyperscale data centers, which will happen on November 16. Sartell has been looking into data centers policies. In May 2026, the Mayor of St Jospeh enacted a one-year moratorium. Also in May, Waite Park instituted a one-year moratorium.

Steele

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 50
  • Current activity:
    Stearns County does not appear to currently have any data center policies. However, in late October,  Owatonna Planning Commission recommended zoning ordinance updates that would include data center definition, even though they have not been approached by any data centers. The topics came up in local candidate debates.

Stevens

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 11
  • Current activity:
    Stevens County does not appear to currently have any data center policies. However, there was a letter to the editor in the Stevens County Times (Some Projects Are Laying The groundwork for Data Centers), which would indicate that people are thinking about it.

Swift

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 17
  • Current activity:
    Swift County does not appear to have any data centers nor plans for data centers however, data centers were a topic of concern at the October 2026 County Commissioners meeting.

Todd

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 11
  • Current activity:
    Todd County does not appear to have any data centers nor plans for data centers but the County Commission have voted yes (in Oct 2026) to a data center moratorium.

Traverse

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Traverse County does not appear to have any data centers, plans for data centers nor policies.

Wabasha

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 20
  • Current activity:
    Wabasha County does not appear to have any data centers, plans for data centers nor policies.

Wadena

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 14
  • Current activity:
    Wadena County does not appear to have any data centers, plans for data centers nor policies.

Waseca

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 7
  • Current activity:
    Waseca County does not appear to have any data centers, plans for data centers nor policies.

Washington

  • Current data centers: 1
    • IronGate Twin Cities East
      IronGate Data Centers
      401 Bielenberg Dr
      55125Woodbury
      Minnesota, USA
      Washington County

Sites listed on Gridcensus: 26

Current activity:
Washington County does not appear to have any data center policies, although they have discussed them. (Washington Counties in other states, such as Florida, has. That will skew any Google searches.) However, Woodbury City Council approved a moratorium on new data centers in September, 2026 while they do research. This moratorium should not impact existing data centers in the city.

Watonwan

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 18
  • Current activity:
    Watonwan County does not appear to have any data center policies, but there was a discussion at the July 2026 County Board meeting.

Wilkin

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 9
  • Current activity:
    Wilkin County does not appear to have any data center policies.

Winona

Wright

Yellow Medicine

  • Current data centers: 0
  • Sites listed on Gridcensus: 8
  • Current activity:
    Yellow Medicine County does not have any existing data centers and does not appear to have any data center policies.

 

Federal reports of internet access in 2025: Including MN numbers

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The US report on Internet access for 2025 is now out. Here’s the intro…

This report summarizes information about Internet access in the United States as of December 31, 2025,
as collected by FCC Form 477 and the Broadband Data Collection (BDC). For purposes of this report,
Internet access is defined as a service that allows information to be sent to or received from the Internet
with a speed of at least 200 kilobits per second. See the Technical Notes at the end of this report for
more-detailed information about these data collections and the meaning of terms used in this report. …

The National Broadband Map displays where internet access services are available across the United
States and can be viewed online at broadbandmap.fcc.gov. Additional maps depicting the number of
fixed connections per 1,000 households by census tract are available online at
fcc.gov/internet-access-services-reports. Other publicly available data that are too voluminous to include
in this report are available online at fcc.gov/general/fcc-form-477-additional-data.

I’m going to try to summarize much of the reports with their graphs…

And here’s what they have for Minnesota  for availability…

Availability of Terrestrial Fixed Broadband by State as of December 31, 2025
(Locations in thousands)

  • Locations: 2,122
  • At least 25 Mbps Down and 3 Mbps Up: 2,082
    • Ratio: .98
  • At least 100 Mbps Down and 20 Mbps Up: 2,052
    • Ratio: .97
  • At least 940 Mbps Down and 500 Mbps Up: 1,325
    • Ratio: .62

vailability of Mobile Broadband by State as of December 31, 2025
(Locations in thousands)

  • Locations: 2,122
  • At least 3G (200 Kbps Down and 50 Kbps Up): 2,118
    • Ratio: 1.0
  • At least 4G LTE (5 Mbps Down and 1 Mbps Up): 2,118
    • Ratio: 1.0
  • At least 5G-NR (7 Mbps Down and 1 Mbps Up): 2,071
    • Ratio: .98
  • At least 5G-NR (35 Mbps Down and 3 Mbps Up): 1,959
    • Ratio: .92

Residential Fixed Connections and Households by State as of December 31, 2025
(Connections and households in thousands)

  • Locations: 2,122
  • At least 25 Mbps Down and 3 Mbps Up: 2,011
    • Ratio: .87
  • At least 100 Mbps Down and 20 Mbps Up: 1,585
    • Ratio: .69
  • At least 940 Mbps Down and 500 Mbps Up: 208
    • Ratio: .09

Connections by Type of End User by State as of December 31, 2025
(Connections in thousands)

  • Residential Connections: 7,679
    • Percentage: 84.2
  • Business Connections: 1,436
    • Percentage: 15.8
  • Total: 9,114

Connections by Technology by State as of December 31, 2025
(in thousands)

  • Copper Wire1: 188
  • Coaxial Cable: 1,284
  • Optical Carrier: 525
  • Other Fixed2: 299
  • Mobile Wireless: 9,114

Percentage of Fixed Connections by Downstream Speed by State as of December 31, 2025

  • Over 200 kbps Upstream and % at least 25 Mbps: 95.5
  • % at least 100 Mbps Downstream: 79.8
  • % at least 940 Mbps Downstream: 28.4

Providers of Connections by Technology by State as of December 31, 2025

  • Copper Wire1: 33
  • Coaxial Cable: 15
  • Optical Carrier: 86
  • Satellite: *
  • Fixed Wireless: 43
  • Mobile Wireless: 4
  • Unduplicated Total: 114

Providers of Connections by Technology by State as of December 31, 2025
(Connections over 200 kbps in at least one direction)

  • Copper Wire1: 33
  • Coaxial Cable: 15
  • Optical Carrier: 86
  • Satellite: *
  • Fixed Wireless: 43
  • Mobile Wireless: 4
  • Unduplicated Total: 114

 

 

 

Faribault City Planning Commission and City Council meets Nov 2 and Nov 17 (Rice County)

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I know the meeting is over, but I don’t see an update yet, and I want to capture the intent; Hometown Source reports…

The Faribault Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, at Faribault City Hall, 208 First Ave. NW inside the Council Chambers.

The Planning Commission is considering proposed rules which will better address data centers through enforceable performance standards that are intended to serve as regulatory safeguards for our community.

The Planning Commission is not considering a data center application. Rather, it is considering the rules in which data centers must follow. The Planning Commission will receive public input as part of the public hearing process, and make a recommendation to the Faribault City Council.

Plans for a future meeting…

Following the recommendation from the Planning Commission, the Faribault City Council will discuss the proposed ordinance during its Nov. 17 Work Session. This will be discussion only, and no action will be taken.

At this meeting, a timeline will be established for when the proposed ordinance recommendation would be voted on.

MN eNews Nov 2026: News on MN broadband, data centers and policies

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MN Broadband Task Force Meeting Oct 2026 at Midco
The MN Broadband Task Force met in Isanti and heard from Midco about their business and their experience working with the Office of Broadband Development (OBD). OBD gave an update and the Task Force members met in small groups to discussion two aspects of the annual report: Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development and Mapping, Policy, and Funding.

League of MN Cities – Data Centers: What Cities Need to Know
LMC has created FAQs designed to provide information to cities about data centers. They will update this information as necessary.

The University of Minnesota unveils a tool kit for local government decision makers on data centers
The guide includes sections on how data centers can impact energy and water usage, and how these impacts can be regulated at the local level to manage environmental impacts. It also includes guiding questions for city leaders to ask if they get an inquiry from big tech about a data center proposal as well as examples of how to address data centers in local code.

MN Letters to the editor on data centers (Sep 24-Oct 22, 2026
This is the third of a monthly edition of letters to editors in local papers about data centers. There were a lot of decisions made in municipalities with proposed data centers, especially toward the end of the month.

State News

National News

 Vendor/Technology News

Office of Broadband Development Updates and News:

Local Broadband News

Aitkin County
Paul Bunyan Communication almost done on all-fiber broadband expansion in Central Aitkin County

Big Stone
Big Stone County Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on new data centers

Caledonia
Caledonia City Council approves one-year data center moratorium (Fillmore County)

Cannon Falls
Cannon Falls City Council approves final plat for data center development (Goodhue County)

Carlton
Carlton County places a one-year moratorium on data centers starting Aug 2026

Chisago County
East Central Energy Cooperative CEO talks data centers in Chisago County
Chisago County Commissioners approved one-year Moratorium on Data Centers in August 2026

Clay County
Data centers come up in debates in Clay County Commission

Crow Wing County
BlockchAIn Digital Infrastructure Inc. plans Crow Wing County data center

Dakota County
Marketplace APM features data center issues in Farmington and Rosemount (Dakota County)

Douglas County
County of Douglas Board of Commissioners discuss data centers in September 2026

Eagan
Data centers come up in Eagan City Council race between Paul Bakken, Gary Hansen, Scott Armitage and Jason Narverud (Dakota County)

Elk River
Popular Elk River candidates discuss data centers (Wright County)

Elko New Market
Elko New Market has a temporary moratorium from May 2026-2027 (Scott County)

Faribault
Faribault city commissioners at odds over data center regulations. Net meeting is Oct 19 (Rice County)

Glencoe
Revolve Labs launches website for Glencoe data center information (McLeod County)

Harmony
Data centers come up in Mayoral Debate in Harmony (Fillmore County)

Hermantown
Hermantown moves ahead with proposed Google data center, despite opposition
Hermantown City Council rescheduled again to vote on several items related to Google data center
Hermantown City Council cancelled rescheduled meeting on data centers
Google data center vote postponed in Hermantown to 7:30pm Oct 27
Residents have reservations about Google’s decommissioning agreement in Hermantown
More details on Hermantown City Council’s agreement for Googles proposed data center (St Louis County)
EVENT Oct 26: Hermantown’s City Council to discussion data center and permitting (St Louis County)
Google will no longer seek tax breaks in Hermantown (St Louis County)
Hermantown mayor tables vote on Minnesota Power transmission line review to serve Google data center (St Louis County)
Hermantown approves updated data center Alternative Urban Areawide Review (St Louis County)

Hibbing
Updates on Paul Bunyan Communication’s Expansion to City of Hibbing

Houston County
Houston Commissioners decide not to establish a data center moratorium yet

Itasca & St Louis Counties
Paul Bunyan Communication expands broadband to 600 locations in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County announced a one-year moratorium on data centers in June 2026

Lino Lakes
Lino Lakes City Council continues to discuss data centers (Anoka County)

Minneapolis
Minneapolis Planning Commission closer to adopting zoning regulations specifically designed for modern data centers (Hennepin County)
EVENT Oct 13: Minneapolis Planning Commission agenda include data centers

Monticello
Monticello City Council to hold a Nov 9 public hearing on the proposed data center
Xcel explains cost protections, grid reliability as Monticello council presses for answers about proposed data center
Monticello Commissioners vote to recommend approval of applications that open the door to a specific hyperscale data center (Wright County)

Morse
Town of Morse to help match IRRRB funds to help Treehouse Broadband expand (St. Louis County)

Nicollet County
Nicollet County Board of Commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in July 2026

Nobles County
Nobles County rejected a data center proposal in April 2026

Northfield
Northfield council moves away from data center ban and toward tiered regulation (Rice and Dakota Counties)

Olmsted & Dodge Counties
Data centers come up in Olmsted and Dodge County forum hosted by Farmers Unions

Otter Tail County
Candidates running in Otter Tail County answer 5 questions, data center comes up

Owatonna
Owatonna Planning Commission proposes zoning ordinance updates include data center definitions (Steele County)
Data centers come up in City Council debates in Owatonna (Steele County)

Pine Island
Pine Island City Council ends data center litigation between MCEA and Google and mandates a new environmental assessment (Goodhue County)
Tech Buzz calls data center project in Pine Island a possible case study (Goodhue County)
EVENT Oct 22: Minnesota PUC looks at Google’s data-center power deal in Pine Island (Goodhue County)
Google hopes that its new data center plan will build goodwill with the Pine Island (Goodhue County)

Preston
A town hall meeting in Preston (MN) leads to questions about Minnesota power transmission around Fillmore and Houston Counties

Rochester
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce announces support for data center in Pine Island (Olmsted County)

Shakopee
Shakopee shares information on Dean Lakes data centers and local policies (Scott County)

St Cloud
St. Cloud City Council will vote on data center ordinance on Oct 19 (Stearns County)
St Cloud Planning Commission plans to amend Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to address data centers
St. Cloud City Commission to discuss Planning Commission recommendations for Data Center Rules on Oct 13 (Stearns County)

Steele County
Data centers come up in race for Steele County Commissioner District 1 seat

Swift County
Swift County Commission is thinking about data centers

Todd County
Todd County Commissioners vote yes on data center moratorium

Willmar
Willmar City Council approves moving forward with the Willmar Connect project
Willmar Connect plans to go live this year, 2026! (Kandiyohi County)

 Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Resources

Caledonia City Council approves one-year data center moratorium (Fillmore County)

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The Fillmore County Journal reports...

At the October 26 regular meeting, the Caledonia City Council approved Ordinance 2026-02, establishing a moratorium on data centers within the city.

City Clerk/Administrator Jake Dickson noted that the 12-month moratorium could be lifted before the 12 months expires. However, he expects the planning commission will need the full 12 months to study data centers and develop a proposed zoning code. The moratorium allows Caledonia to take a proactive approach to manage development.

Under the moratorium, a data center is defined based on the facility and equipment’s principal use, distinguishing it from uses that are accessory or incidental to primary use.

Dickson noted that he believes the moratorium is the right thing to do.

Todd County Commissioners vote yes on data center moratorium

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Notes from the Oct 2026 meeting, the Todd County Board of Commissioners meeting…

Proposed Amendment to the Todd County Planning and Zoning Ordinance to create Section 9.24 –
Data Centers.
Staff Findings: Adam read through the staff report. This report is available for viewing upon request in the
Planning & Zoning Office.
Board discussion:
Adam, added the people from Great River Energy are a good resource to get them here, if they come together,
it would be the same night, with the intention to educate. They mentioned what the permitting process from
their perspective looks like, electrical rate impacts and infrastructure needs as topics.
Ken, what does Giant do?
Adam, it will be open to the public to come here. May be a special meeting. We would have to submit to Long
Prairie Leader by next week, then they distribute to Staples, Ind News Harold, Osakis, Long Prairie and Clarissa.
Tom says he has two guys (keep in mind supportive of DATA centers) Lucas, CEO of Giant. If we want to bring
him in and Chet Boden with Dept. of Employment and Economic Development for the State and he could reach
out to him too.
Adam, GiantVoices.com, out of Duluth, consultants, and continue to get in touch with Elise.
Adam, on U of M toolkit, there is a webinar on 6:00 PM October 14th, need to register. If want the link, you can
for one hour. Focused mostly on SE, MN.
Ken asked for the link.
Adam will send to everyone. Work with Jeff and Tom and reach out with Elise, send link for Webinar and reach
out to the other two gentlemen. Well-rounded knowledge base with all. Hope with AMC makes a model, but
for now we are starting from scratch.
Jim, anyone talk to any other counties?
Adam, yes, there are a couple ahead of us as the moratorium was ahead of us. Structure like solar ordinance,
set size, performance standards and the very large, we could not allow and define what that is, as an example.
Andy, not constrained quite as much.
Roger, heard any cannabis applications in the townships?
Adam, Bruce twp. has cannabis outdoor cultivation granted.
Roger, Steve Voss on the Kesslers? Should be grandfathered in.
Adam is communicating to the Kesslers the options offered.
Roger digging to the South taking out pine trees, off the right of way, last week he noticed.
Ken motioned to table the DATA Center ordinance, Roger seconded until November.
Roll call vote commenced as follows:
Ken Hovet
Board member
Vote (yes or no)
Roger Hendrickson
Yes
Yes
Lloyd Graves
Andy Watland
Yes
Yes
Jim Pratt
Motion carried.
Yes
Ken motioned to adjourn and Roger seconded. Voice vote to adjourn the October Planning Commission
Meeting, no dissention heard. Motion carried and meeting adjourn 7:25 PM.

Elko New Market has a temporary moratorium from May 2026-2027 (Scott County)

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As of May, 2026, the City of Elko New Market, Minnesota, currently has a temporary moratorium in place that blocks the establishment and operation of data centers…

SUMMARY ORDINANCE NO. 346
CITY OF ELKO NEW MARKET
SCOTT COUNTY, MINNESOTA
SUMMARY OF INTERIM ORDINANCE NO. 345
AN INTERIM ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE LOCATION, ESTABLISHMENT, AND OPERATION
OF DATA CENTERS IN THE CITY OF ELKO NEW MARKET NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, on May 14, 2026, an Interim Ordinance was adopted by the City Council of the City of Elko New Market, Minnesota.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that, because of the lengthy nature of the Interim Ordinance, the following summary of the ordinance has been prepared for publication and approved by the City Council as authorized by state law.
This Interim Ordinance places a moratorium on the location, establishment, or operation of data centers in the City of Elko New Market until May 13, 2027. During the moratorium, the City will conduct a study to determine whether city must amend its zoning ordinance to
address the impacts upon public health, safety and welfare created by data centers.
A printed copy of the entire Interim Ordinance is available for inspection by any person during regular office hours at the office of the City Administrator at the Elko New Market City Hall, 601 Main Street, Elko New Market, Minnesota 55054.
APPROVED for publication on this 14th day of May 2026, by the City Council for the City of Elko New Market.

Shakopee share information on Dean Lakes data centers and local policies (Scott County)

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As a reminder, I am going back in time (a few months) to compile data center data by Minnesota counties. In July 2026, Shakopee posts FAQs on data centers at Dean’s Lake. They explain, “The Dean Lakes facility is an example of this smaller type of data center” and explain why the project cannot be stopped…

The property is zoned for industrial uses, and data centers are a permitted use under the City’s zoning ordinance. Under Minnesota law, when a project complies with applicable zoning and building requirements, it is reviewed through an administrative process rather than a discretionary approval by the City Council. Because this project meets the applicable requirements, the City does not have the authority to deny it based on its use.

In August, the South Metro Scoop explained why Shakopee might be interested in discussing data centers…

A data center is a giant building full of computers. It stores files, runs apps, and now feeds a lot of AI. They want cheap power, cool weather, and a lot of water for cooling. Minnesota has become a magnet. MPR News spent 2025 on that boom. Towns from the metro to the Iron Range are staring at proposals. The pitch is jobs and tax base. The fear is your electric bill, your well, and a low hum you can feel in the walls. South metro cities are already writing rulebooks. Eagan staff said the city legally can’t just ban them. So Eagan is racing to regulate noise, water, and power before a pause expires. Rosemount passed a one-year pause on new applications. Shakopee has not done either of those things. Tuesday was the first public “we need to talk about this” from the dais. There was no site named. No developer named. No map. Just: bring it back. That’s actually useful. It means residents can show up before a specific project lands. When it comes back, ask the boring questions. How much water? How much power? How close to homes? Who pays if the substation has to grow? Eagan’s already-running center uses about 7 million gallons a year. Staff there said that’s not even a top-10 city water user. The next wave of AI buildings may not be that polite.

Monticello City Council to hold a Nov 9 public hearing on the proposed data center

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Monticello Times reports…

With a contentious data center proposal looming over Tuesday’s local elections and a pivotal City Council hearing approaching Nov. 9, a new national poll suggests the debate unfolding in Monticello is part of a much broader wave of opposition.

Nearly three-quarters of American voters — 72% — oppose new artificial intelligence data centers in their communities, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for The Washington Post and ABC News released Oct. 20.

The findings come ahead of Monticello’s Nov. 3 mayoral and City Council elections, in which the proposed Monticello Tech data center has emerged as a significant issue.

Less than a week after the election, the City Council will hold a Nov. 9 public hearing on the proposed 3 million-square-foot data center campus on approximately 550 acres south of 85th Street NE and east of Highway 25.

The proposal has generated considerable public debate over electricity demand, water consumption, noise, land use and the potential effects on nearby property owners — concerns that mirror those being raised in communities across the country.

The national poll does not measure sentiment in Monticello, but its findings provide a broader perspective on an issue that has become increasingly contentious as technology companies pursue large-scale developments to support artificial intelligence.

The Monticello Planning Commission recommended approval of the project’s conditional use permit, rezoning and preliminary plat applications on a 4-1 vote Oct. 6, following a public hearing that drew approximately 150 people.

The City Council’s Nov. 9 hearing begins at 6 p.m. at the Monticello Community Center.

The article outlines major historical timeline and events related to data centers in Monitcello.

East Central Energy Cooperative CEO talks data centers in Chisago County

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Chisago County Press reports…

The President and CEO for the East Central Energy Cooperative, Justin Jahnz, assured the public in attendance at a recent meeting in North Branch City Hall,  that any data center looking to utilize power from the local system is at least five years away from reality.  There is no part of the ECE system, at least, that is prepared to supply distribution of power to facilitate any “hyperscale’ facility at this time.

Also, should a data center or other high energy user like crypto mining—propose a facility in the Chisago County area;  if they wish to connect to the grid through ECE, “…they will pay upfront costs of any system improvements,” Jahnz added.

ECE has 70,000 members and covers 14 counties in east, north central Minnesota and the upper west edge of Wisconsin.  North Branch sold its municipal power assets to the cooperative a few years ago.  The North Branch area also is in service territories for Xcel and Connexus.

As a trained electrician and someone who has been involved with the cooperative for 18 years; Jahnz advised the North Branch City Council members to stick with what the city has the ability to control as it considers ordinances to regulate these highly controversial projects.  “To the degree we (ECE) can be a resource, we are happy to do that,” he added.

Popular Elk River candidates discuss data centers (Wright County)

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Hometown Source reports…

Elk River candidates discuss data centers, housing and city spending at forum

Westgaard outlines priorities as mayoral successor to Dietz; council candidates weigh growth, infrastructure and taxpayer costs

Elk River’s next mayor and City Council will face decisions about data center development, housing affordability, downtown construction and the cost of expanding city services, candidates said during a forum hosted by the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce.

Discussion on data centers…

Data centers prompt calls for clearer rules

Data center development was among the forum’s most consequential topics, with candidates generally acknowledging the potential economic benefits while emphasizing the importance of location and planning.

Johnson, who said he has spent much of his career in the information technology industry and has worked in data centers across Minnesota, said the facilities are increasingly necessary to support businesses’ technology needs.