Bemidji considers data center moratorium (Beltrami County)

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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 

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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)

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Monticello gets more details on proposed data center (Wright County)

Posted on by
Reply

Hometown Source reports…

After months of questions, speculation and debate, Monticello residents are getting their clearest view yet at what a proposed data center campus south of the city could eventually become.

A revised application submitted by Monticello Tech on Aug. 3 doesn’t answer every question. The developer still has not identified the company that would ultimately operate the campus, and many details — from building architecture to electrical demand and emergency backup systems — won’t be finalized until later in the approval process.

But compared with the original application submitted July 6 — one city staff deemed incomplete later that month — the revised submission paints a far more detailed picture of the proposed development.

The City must determine whether the application is complete…

The city has 15 business days from receiving the Aug. 3 submission — until Friday, Aug. 21 — to determine whether the application contains all of the information required under its recently adopted Data Center Planned Unit Development ordinance.

The article proceeds to shar details on the project and potential impacts on the community. It also provides a quick look at the numbers…

Monticello Tech by the numbers

547 acres — Approximate total project area

364 acres — Approximate developable area

3 million square feet — Maximum data center development allowed under the proposal

2 million square feet — Conceptual development scenario used for many current planning calculations

Up to 8 — Potential principal data center buildings

75,000 gallons per day — Estimated average water use, roughly equivalent to the daily water use of 273 households

$73.5 million — Current estimated infrastructure cost

$300 million — Developer’s estimated taxable value at 2 million square feet

$7 million per year — Developer’s projected annual property taxes at that buildout

4-8 years — Estimated campus buildout period

2028 — Earliest projected start of construction

2030 — Projected substantial completion of the first phase

MN Broadband Task Force August 2026: rural libraries and workforce training

Posted on by
Reply

The MN Broadband Task Force heard from national speakers on rural libraries and workforce training. Also, there was a big update from the Office of Broadband Development.

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and approval of minutes from June Task Force meeting.

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Presentation from Kate Laughlin, Executive Director, Association for Rural & Small Libraries and Brooke Van Eyk, Development Director, Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

  • Last year IMLS (funds libraries) suffered steep cuts last year
  • Shining a light on rural libraries
  • They have 3000 members; 80 in Minnesota
  • Some rural areas have limited broadband access – but they can get access in the library
  • Working with private foundations on library grants
  • Coleraine, Two Harbors and Lake Agassi will be participating in grant/education programs

Q: E-rate. Are struggles with getting broadband internal infrastructure or connectivity?
Both.
Q: What do people do online in the library?
Many things. We don’t judge. Online training is one example, especially in areas where the local industry is dying.
How to access telehealth because the hospital has closed or specialists aren’t close enough to visit in person
What about Tribal connections?

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Presentation from C-Tech’s Sara Syverson on Broadband Workforce Training: Building Career Pathways Through Hands-On Learning

  • Works with Moose Lake

Q: Have you done the training in k12?
Yes – work in the high schools.
Q: Do you do any tower-climbing classes?
Not yet
Q: What are high demand jobs?
Tower technicians especially travel, FTTP deployments – last mile home installation

11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Office of Broadband Development (OBD) overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD).

  • Digital Equity Grant: changes are to competitive grants. NTIA is looking at December for those grants to be available again. But these are not capacity grants. These are the grants that NTIA administered directly.
    Commerce Targets December 2026 to Reopen Digital Equity Competitive
  • There’s another suit to try to get some funding back.
  • BEAD: Have first signed grant agreement with ECE for a fiber deployment. Working on other (80+) contracts as well.
  • Contract deadline is Aug 8.
  • Working with tribal partners
  • Have updated the website
  • Folks are going to NTIA conference in fall
  • Some BEAD grantees have dropped out due to higher costs, uncertainty in guidance
  • Line Extension – still happening – but need to be done by the end of the year. (Requirement of Capitol Projects). Still hoping for one last quick round.
  • Looking at Line Extension 6 for the future with State funding
  • Capitol Projects: we are under a desk review. Need approval for a budget modification.
  • Running into issues with reimbursement – for OBD and grantees
  • OBD sent a letter to Treasury to get unused dollars to meet extensions.
  • Border to Border Round 9 still have 24 projects out – but ready for close out
  • Border to Border 10 projects are on track.
  • The MN Broadband Charter monthly meetings continue.
  • We see more hiccups with environmental policy/permitting could cause more slow-downs.

Q: Is round 5 safe?
Yes. But we can’t pay until OBD gets paid.

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Open the floor to other business, September’s meeting plans, and meeting wrap-up.

  • Sep 16 meeting with be virtual; next meeting at MidCo
  • Will start talking about the annual report

Doug Dawson on reasons to support Public WiFi

Posted on by
Reply

Doug Dawson reports on the POTS and PANS blog…

One of the most interesting positive things that came out of the COVID pandemic was that communities and organizations across the country deployed public WiFi hotspots. This was done at the time to support students and workers who were expected to find a way to work remotely. And this worked well in a lot of places, and I’ve talked to communities who said the public flocked to the free WiFi during the pandemic.

There was another benefit of the free hot spots – they created places where people who couldn’t afford broadband suddenly had a place to access the Internet. This number of people varies by community, but the nationwide numbers suggest that around 14% of homes don’t have a home broadband solution, and as many as 80% of those folks say they would buy a home broadband solution if they could afford it.

As I wrote about in a recent blog, the number of homes without broadband is unfortunately growing due to affordability issues related to the other increasing costs of daily life like rent, food, health care, and transportation. An increasing number of homes are finding it harder to maintain their broadband connection. Several ISPs have told me about a growing number of broadband customers that regularly disconnect and then reconnect broadband during the year depending on their ability to pay the bill.

The post goes on to talk about aspects of providing public WiFi to the community.

Federal appeals back fiber provider in railroad dispute

Posted on by
Reply

Broadband Breakfast reports…

A federal appeals court has sided with a fiber provider in a dispute over whether a railroad can control, and charge for, access beneath its tracks.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled Friday that CSX Transportation could not use its Indiana railroad easements to block Zayo Group from running fiber optic cable beneath its corridor.

Office of Broadband Development Update Aug 12 2026: BEAD, Line Extension and Digital Equity Grant

Posted on by
Reply

From the Office of Broadband Development...

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates

  • Broadband Task Force, August meeting plans
  • Federal decisions reset Digital Equity Grant timeline
  • Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
  • Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses

OBD Executive Director Bree Maki had the opportunity to present at Mountain Connect on Minnesota’s approaches and best practices for BEAD.

Broadband Task Force, August meeting plans

The Broadband Task Force will meet tomorrow, Thursday August 13 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 is included on the meeting agenda which has been posted along with other information on past meetings on the Broadband Task Force webpage.

Federal decisions reset Digital Equity Grant timeline

Two recent federal court rulings have reshaped national Digital Equity Act (DEA) programs and clarified what is, and is not, changing for Minnesota.

In NDIA v. Trump, the court ruled that the administration lacked authority to terminate the DEA Competitive Grant Program, requiring National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to reinstate it without race‑based criteria. A DOJ/Commerce memo confirms a new Competitive Grant NOFO is expected in December 2026. This ruling affects only the national Competitive Grant Program administered by NTIA. More information on the ruling is available from the Benton Institute.

In State of New Jersey et al. v. OMB, where Minnesota is an active plaintiff, the court found that federal agencies cannot terminate awarded grants based on newly announced priorities, strengthening protections for state‑administered programs. Counts II and III remain pending.

Importantly, there is no new information regarding Minnesota’s State Digital Equity Capacity Grants, and there has been no reinstatement of that program. We continue monitoring federal developments and will adjust if future changes occur. Updates will be relayed through this newsletter and on the OBD Digital Opportunity webpage.

Please feel free to reach out to our office with questions at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-259-7610.

Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates

OBD is continuing to work through required project scope changes and preparing contracts for execution. These scope changes often include removing locations newly identified as already served or re‑awarding locations when providers decline an award. Updated information and resources can be found on the OBD BEAD webpage. Additionally:

Because the NTIA must approve project scope changes, the review process can take several weeks. OBD will continue coordinating closely with partners to keep projects moving and to meet the federal contracting deadline of October 8, 2026.

Providers and community members can contact OBD (DEED.broadband@state.mn.us) with questions.

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.

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

More information and registration are available on the Line Extension Connection Program webpage.