EVENT July 14: Carlton County Commissioners to discuss data center moratorium

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The Moose Lake Star Gazette reports…

A grassroots group of county residents known as the Carlton County Land Stewards feel strongly about protecting the county from data centers and is working to educate the county commissioners as well as the public about their concerns.

The data center subject has been an ongoing discussion among the county commissioners, who agreed to move the discussion to implement an interim use ordinance to the next regular board meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14 at the Carlton County Transportation Building. If they decide to move forward with a moratorium, they will schedule a public meeting.

Here are some earlier, similar stories on the project:

Dakota County Chamber of Commerce supports AI and data centers

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The Sun This Week (aka Hometown Source) posts a letter to the editor from Jon M. Althoff, chief mission officer at the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce…

AI is already part of our daily lives. It helps physicians detect diseases earlier, enables manufacturers to reduce waste and downtime, assists farmers in maximizing crop yields, and allows small businesses to serve customers more efficiently. From local retailers to Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Dakota County, AI is becoming as essential to competitiveness as the internet was a generation ago.

Minnesota businesses understand this. According to recent surveys, 87% of Minnesota small businesses are optimistic about the role technology will play in their future growth. They recognize what history has repeatedly shown: The businesses that embrace innovation are the ones that survive and prosper.

The same is true for states (and foreign countries, too).

Across our great country, governors and legislatures are competing aggressively for AI investment, advanced manufacturing, research facilities, and the data centers that power them. These projects bring billions of dollars in private investment, local school and nonprofit grants, strengthen local tax bases, support construction and skilled trades, and create opportunities for suppliers ranging from electricians and engineering firms to restaurants, trucking companies, and local service businesses.

Some point out that data centers employ fewer permanent workers than traditional manufacturing facilities. That observation is accurate — but incomplete.

A modern airport doesn’t employ everyone who benefits from it. Neither does a highway, an electric grid, or a port.

Practical look at Minnesota Government Data Practices Act in the Age of AI

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The League of Minnesota Cities has compiled helpful information for local governments looking at responsibility with AI…

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more common, Minnesota cities are exploring how these technologies can improve efficiency, customer service, and daily operations. From drafting meeting minutes more quickly to generating city-branded graphics and designs, AI offers clear benefits.

For local governments, however, these opportunities come with important legal obligations, particularly under the Minnesotan Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA). Understanding how the MGDPA applies to AI use is essential for cities seeking to leverage new technologies while maintaining public trust and compliance.

The article addresses the following topics:

  • Government data defined
  • Is AI data public or nonpublic?
  • Entering data into AI tools
  • Impact on data requests
  • Practical considerations

Even if you aren’t with a local government agency or office, I think the practical advice helps under the implications of using AI yourself.

Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce hosts Pine Island data center discussion for local businesses (Goodhue County)

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KTTC reports…

 A restraining order has halted construction on Google’s proposed data center in Pine Island, but supporters of the project are continuing to make their case to the business community.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session Wednesday for several dozen business leaders from across the region. The event, located at the Mayo Civic Center, featured a panel of representatives from Ryan Companies, Google, Xcel Energy, and the Pine Island City Council. They answered questions from the chamber and audience about the project, known as Project Skyway.

Sounds like it was business-focused…

The session covered economic, energy, and environmental questions surrounding the project. The city has said the development would direct millions of dollars toward the community and local schools.

With no representation from another view…

However, for a project that has faced significant community pushback, Dokken noted the session lacked an opposing voice.

The Post Bulletin also described the meeting…

Thursday’s info session sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce was billed as an opportunity to set the record straight on the highly contentious issue of data centers.

And it brought together a rare assemblage of representatives from Google, Xcel Energy, the Pine Island government and Ryan Companies all in the same public space. All are major players are in the data center project in Pine Island.

The project is currently on hold after a Goodhue County District judge issued a temporary restraining order halting construction. The lawsuit was brought by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, a nonprofit that is seeking a stronger environmental review of the project.

During the hour-long discussion, panelists highlighted how the “spread of misinformation” has made it difficult to keep the community informed about the project. Open houses have helped get the word out, but their impact hasn’t always been lasting.

Project developers held two public open houses during an eight-month approval process, and feedback from those sessions was used to adjust planning documents, said Jared Olson, vice president of site design for Ryan Companies, the developer behind the Project Skyway data center project.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Notes: Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting (July 10) MN DCYF

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Today I attended the online-based Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting. The TAC is a permanent body to advise Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and executive branch agencies on strategic information technology initiatives and service delivery. Meetings are open to the public. I have taken notes on the presentation only.

They heard from DCYF Integration Layer – Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). They are working on modernizing technology with a goal to adapt a whole family approach. They want to give staff more time to spend with the families.

Notes/Video/Slides from Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)

Technology Advisory Council – Full Council Meeting:

  • Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
  • Time: 8:30 – 11 a.m. CDT
  • Location: Virtual Meeting – email tac.mnit@state.mn.us for information on how to join the meeting.

From the chat:

  • Here’s a link to the Chapter Law for the Human Services Modernization Fund, Council, and Commission: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2026/0/Session+Law/Chapter/120/
  • Here’s a link to the Chapter Law for the Human Services Modernization Fund, Council, and Commission: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2026/0/Session+Law/Chapter/120/
  • Technology should be leveraged to allow enrollees to report changes electronically with a no wrong door approach. Clients are expected to know all their different workers/teams and call on the phone, often with long hold times, to report changes. Audits have shown clients do try to report changes, but often the changes only get entered into one system/program.
    Answer: yes
  • To me, it seems that the “Policy Engine” would be the hardest thing to design. But the use case is so common that surely tons of work has been done on this topic across the country.
    Answer: We have learned from legacy system and what has happened in other states. We look at state and federal parameters. Policy support is key.
  • Is this pilot connected to the SNAP benefits project?
    Answer: They will
  • Any specific way to volunteer/register for some of these different projects?
    Answer: not an immediate opportunity but good idea
  • Is there an advisory committee that could be used to provide input/volunteer?  Mtgs to attend
    Answer: not yet
  • Not just keyboard only. Workers must memorize thousands of secret codes. Update the STAT MEMI
    But in the defense of green screen, it does work well for quick keyboard entry instead of a mouse….
    https://cms1files.revize.com/assocofminnesotacos/publications/MnCountiesMagazineWINTER2025.pdf?t=202601221049170&t=202601221049170
  • A challenge will be getting good data
  • How is the search from the Chief Data Officer?
    We are creating a new position. Usually comes through the Governor’s Budget, which isn’t helpful this year. The legislature provided MNIT with some one-time funding.
  • Do you need new legislation to get the position?
    We need a budget order and one-time funding will likely not work.
  • Home site for accessing previous Technology Advisory Council (TAC)/Blue Ribbon Council on IT (BRC-IT) reports, along with other information about the council including upcoming meetings, current appointed membership, etc. https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/tac.jsp

Orbital seeks FCC Approval for 100,000 data center satellites

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

Orbital, a five-month-old startup based in Los Angeles, has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy up to 100,000 data center satellites.

The application submitted June 24 outlines plans for a constellation that would deliver approximately 10 gigawatts of compute, roughly enough to meet the average electricity demand of about 8 to 10 million U.S. homes, without drawing on terrestrial electricity, land, or water.

Minneapolis officials host conversation on data centers and zoning – includes video (Hennepin County)

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Minneapolis Times reports…

As Minneapolis moves toward a permanent zoning framework for data centers, City Council Members Elizabeth Shaffer and Michael Rainville convened a downtown community conversation aimed at separating large-scale fears from the smaller urban projects now being discussed for the city’s core.

Amid a looming municipal budget crisis and a rapidly shifting commercial real estate market, Minneapolis city leaders and industry experts gathered Thursday night to map out the future of urban data center development.

The “Community Conversation,” co-hosted by City Council Members Elizabeth Shaffer (Ward 7) and Michael Rainville (Ward 3) at the Public Service Building, arrived at a critical legislative juncture. Earlier that afternoon, the City Council passed a temporary moratorium on data center developments in a razor-thin vote. The pause is intended to give officials time to establish a permanent zoning framework, a process set to include 60 days of public engagement this summer with a final ordinance target date in mid-November 2026.

Carlton County Board will consider data center moratorium

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The Carlton Pine Journal reports…

The board will weigh a moratorium to pause data center construction for one year at the urging of grassroots organizers.

At the urging of grassroots organizers, the Cloquet County Board of Commissioners will consider a one-year moratorium on data center construction within the county.

On Tuesday, organizers with the Carlton County Land Stewards, which formed in opposition to Enbridge’s Line 3 project, filled the Carlton County Transportation Building to argue for the moratorium. The board subsequently voted to advance the proposed interim ordinance for further consideration at its July 14 meeting. The ordinance would pause data center construction — and authorize a study on whether additional regulation within the county would be required.

“There has not been a proposal yet for a data center in our county, but I believe it is in the county’s best interest to restrict the expansion and establishment of data centers for the development of property for a data center while the study is ongoing,” Commissioner Sue Zmyslony said at the workshop meeting.

…

The board will likely hold a public hearing on the moratorium in August, Berg said.

You can learn more about the Carlton County Board of Commissioners meetings online.

Rolls-Royce invests $24M in Mankato expansion in bid to profit from data center boom (Blue Earth)

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The MN Star Tribune reports…

As opposition to data centers swells across the state, this southern Minnesota city is getting a boost from the race to build them.

Rolls-Royce has invested $24 million to expand the Mankato factory where it builds generators used in data centers, hospitals and airports.

The expansion includes a 250,000‑square‑foot logistics center at its main plant in Mankato just north of Highway 14 and the promise of 100 new jobs. The company is investing $4.5 million at another site in Mankato that also produces generators.

The expansion by Rolls-Royce, a British manufacturer and military contractor that separated from the similarly named luxury car brand in 1973, is part of a bid to profit from the rise of the data center industry, which is hungry for electricity and relies on generators as backstops during power outages.

Companies across Minnesota are capitalizing on the rapid growth in data centers, even as many cities and counties are hitting the brakes on their development in the state. Mankato is considering its own moratorium on data centers at a City Council meeting Monday.

Eagan faces lawsuit over data center moratorium (Dakota County)

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Fox 9 reports…

A legal battle is taking shape in Eagan after the city’s decision to pause new data center development sparked a lawsuit and raised questions about local authorities over electricity regulation.

The article gives some history of the issue…

What we know:

In February, Eagan became the first city in Minnesota to pass a moratorium on data centers, giving itself a year to study the potential impacts of these facilities.

Eagan Capital, a data center owner, is now suing the city, arguing that Eagan does not have the authority to regulate electricity. The company points out that the moratorium makes exceptions for data centers that use less electricity.

According to the lawsuit, there are at least four data centers in Eagan, some of which date to the 1980s.

The data center owner is seeking $50,000 in damages from the city.

The other side:

The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Big picture view:

Several other Minnesota communities have also enacted temporary bans on data centers. After Eagan’s move, cities like Minneapolis and Carver, as well as Wright County and Inver Grove Heights, put similar moratoriums in place. In Inver Grove Heights, a developer has threatened to sue the city over its temporary ban.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Lawsuit alleges Mayo Clinic cuts corners with AI

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MPR News reports…

As medical behemoth Mayo Clinic continues to lead the way in incorporating artificial intelligence into clinical settings, a new lawsuit alleges that staff at the world-renowned hospital system had been skirting AI compliance rules and masking concerning error rates.

The civil action comes from former Mayo Clinic research director and AI compliance lead Traci Tamiko Eto, who sued her employer this week in federal court, saying she was retaliated against and fired after she blew the whistle on how the hospital’s rush to incorporate AI into their operations put patient care and privacy at risk.

Artur Davis, Eto’s attorney and a partner with the national law firm HKM Employment Attorneys LLC, told MPR News that this is a significant case, especially since it concerns the intimate and confidential patient data hospitals like Mayo Clinic have in their possession.

“If [people] care about the notion that AI has to be handled in a responsible manner, with integrity, and there have to be rules and guidelines, this is a case that should matter to you,” Davis said.

Davis said Mayo Clinic has 21 days to respond to the legal filing.

Mayo Clinic told MPR News Wednesday it is committed to the responsible development and deployment of AI and that privacy, security, transparency and compliance are embedded in its processes.

Elk River City Council denies data center application and considers moratorium (Sherburne)

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Data Center Dynamics reports…

Officials in Elk River, Minnesota, have denied a zoning application for a proposed data center project and are considering a year-long moratorium on new developments.

Swervo Development Corp. affiliate Elk River Capital was proposing to convert an existing 60,000-square-foot (5,575 sqm) industrial building at 19178 Industrial Blvd NW into a 33MW data center.

However, the Elk River City Council this week voted against an ordinance amendment that would have allowed for the project in the city’s “light industrial” zone. As reported by CBS, the council still needs to vote on a conditional use permit for the project, but the council has indicated it will likely deny the permit.

More about future plans…

This week’s meeting also saw the council ask city staff to draft a one-year moratorium on new data centers for consideration at an upcoming meeting.

More about similar projects…

Elsewhere in Minnesota, Swervo has partnered with Eagan Capital to convert a former Unisys data center in Eagan into a colocation facility. A local moratorium in the Dakota County city, however, is blocking expansion plans. Swervo affiliate Eagan Capital is filing a lawsuit to lift the moratorium.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Winona resident speaks out on impact of losing ReConnect funding in their area

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A letter to the Editor at the Winona Post gives a glimpse of what happens on the front lines when funding gets cut…

Living in rural Winona County is great. The people are great. The scenery is great. The internet, however, is not so great. Because my home sits in a valley setting, connectivity is spotty, and my family has long relied on expensive and poorly performing satellite internet. I was excited when I learned of a plan that would bring broadband internet to my rural home as part of the ReConnect project proposed by MiEnergy. Early this year, I met with their consultant to discuss the details of connecting the service. Then, in early March, I received a letter from MiEnergy informing me that the ReConnect broadband expansion had been canceled.

According to MiEnergy, the project had received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture in 2023 and then sat idle for nearly three years awaiting environmental clearance from both USDA Rural Development and the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office. During that time, costs rose and bids expired, which ultimately resulted in the project’s collapse. Rural communities in southeastern Minnesota were depending on this investment, and we have now been left behind due to inaction that I believe was avoidable.

Benton Institute for Broadband and Society posts primer on Starlink

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Benton Institute for Broadband and Society posted a nice primer on Starlink…

Starlink is all over the broadband news lately. The SpaceX-owned broadband provider has come a long way since it first launched 60 satellites in May 2019. Today, SpaceX has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit and has received regulatory approval to grow the fleet to 15,000. The company reports over 9 million direct subscribers globally (2.7 million in the U. S. alone), a number experts think is poised to grow exponentially in the coming years. In a recent SEC filing, Starlink claimed it can reach 3.3 billion potential users now.

The article goes on to address the following topics:

  • How Starlink Works
  • Advantages of Starlink
  • Disadvantages of Starlink
  • The Questions Facing Policymakers
  • Where We’re Going

Congressperson introduces Broadband Infrastructure Extension Act to extend ARPA deadline

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Rep. McDowell’s (NC-06) website reports…

Yesterday, June 29th, Congressman Addison McDowell (NC-06) introduced the Broadband Infrastructure Extension Act. This legislation would extend expenditure deadlines for certain broadband infrastructure projects funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The legislation provides states and local communities additional time to complete broadband projects already underway, helping ensure rural communities are not forced to abandon critical infrastructure investments because of federal deadlines.

This would be good news for folks with outstanding projects.