Revolve Labs has launched a new website aimed at answering questions about its data center under construction in Glencoe.
The website follows a public presentation last month by Jim Fleming, director of customer operations for Revolve Labs, at the Glencoe City Center. During that presentation, Fleming said the company planned to create an online resource where residents could find additional information and supporting sources about the project.
The new site, available at revolvelabs.ai/community/glencoe, covers topics including construction, sound, water, electricity use, jobs, and the project’s potential impact on the community. Revolve Labs said it plans to continue updating the site as the project moves forward.
Construction is underway at 670 11th St. W., where Revolve Labs plans to complete the new data center in April 2027.
The facility will provide computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications. One of its primary functions will be “inference,” the computing process that occurs when an AI system receives information and produces a response. The company said its high-performance computing infrastructure supports applications in healthcare, agriculture, education, and financial services.
The MN Broadband Task Force met in Isanti 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 member met in small groups to discussion two aspects of the annual report: Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development and Mapping, Policy, and Funding. Not enough people showed up for the mapping discussion (although folks may have shown up after the initial 5 minutes) so I attended the affordability discussion, which was pretty interesting, especially when talking about speed goals. There’s always a balance between was consumers need and what providers are offering, especially with the BEAD shift from fiber to satellite.
Meeting Agenda
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, roll call, approval of minutes from September Task Force meeting, and presentation and introduction from Melissa Wolf and Midco.
Questions:
Tell us about line extension.
It allows us to reach individuals who are farther away from our network. They are longer drops, more rural properties. We stay in contact with folks who may apply and we evaluate where the houses in need are. They are shorter contracts – usually within 6-12 months we start to build.
Do you see things in other states that are working better?
OBD is the gold standard. We talk more about what MN is doing well.
10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. Continue Task Force discussion on E-Rate and update from Task Force member work since September meeting.
Where does the TF stand with E-rate?
Erate goes to schools and libraries. USF goes to other places too, such as hospitals and low-income households.
Erate is under review and is open for comments. Does the TF want to comment? Two letters have been written in support of Erate. One is a direct FCC comment. The other is a letter to the Congressional delegation. Deadline is Oct 13.
Does everybody support the effort? No dissenters.
Folks can read the letters after the meeting and chime in.
11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Office of Broadband Development (OBD) overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD).
Bree is in DC and they are talking about USF at the conference.
Big thanks for Midco for hosting and sharing.
Border to Border – team has been closing 10 more projects (round 9 and 10).
89 active projects still in the field; 24 are near closing.
Line Extension 4 & 5 need to be built by the end of the year.
Plan to do another line extension round – but not until next year
Trying to navigate BEAD
Digital Equity Act – lots of unknowns. Competitive grant is in the courts, looking for guidance by the end of the year. Hoping the state grants will also get a review.
BEAD – asking grantees to do what they can.
Benefit of the Bargain 2 – we were aggressive in trying to add 21000 locations to the BEAD eligible map
Supposed to be done with contracting by October but we weren’t able to get the info we needed – our new date is Nov 7.
Also looking for tribal consent, especially as some providers have left the program.
Questions
Are there any projects with only minimal scope changes?
Most have something but there are a few. We are losing providers, especially fiber providers due to rising costs. This is turning into an anti-fiber project due to costs.
We have gone from 160,000 unserved locations to 60,000 – due to private investment.
BEAD does not work well in a state that state broadband speed goals that surpass federal definitions.
Some projects are getting close to starting. Some folks are waiting on signing contracts until they know what’s happening on a layer higher than one project alone.
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Subgroup work time, have leads share out (1—2 minutes) on work at and since September meeting, breakout into subgroups for work time. Subgroups will aim to identify and finalize information needed for the background section to support eventual recommendations.
The video gets wonky at this point. My plan was to record one group and take notes for the other, but only one person showed up for the Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development group. So I shifted to recording Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development. Also I took screenshots of the document as changes were being made, which may be moderately helpful.
Do we need to prepare MN Government that we need to return to Border to Border in light of BEAD not really coming to fruition? YES
Do we need to discuss speed goals? Is it still 100/20 – then yes.
What are industry standards? NO one has really addressed it. With wireless and satellite becoming the de facto BEAD answer, conversations have shifted.
We should focus on symmetrical, that would push fiber. Government funds should not go to inadequate speeds with limited growth.
If BEAD stayed at gig access, this would be an easier discussion but since the feds are no longer there, we won’t likely get traction for the federal discussion.
Open the floor to other business, November’s meeting plans, and meeting wrap-up. Meeting adjourned for online attendees.
Construction unions build data centers, and the projects are particularly lucrative for blue-collar workers. As a result, trade unions are divided in the First Congressional District. Some have backed Johnson, while others endorsed Finstad, a two-term Republican from New Ulm who has said data centers can benefit local communities and that Congress should not ban them in cities that want them.
It’s the latest example of how data centers and AI are shaping politics — not just the economy. And it’s another source of friction between trade unions and Democrats in Minnesota, as labor groups grapple with a large faction of DFLers who oppose big construction projects such as copper-nickel mines and oil pipelines.
“On one side we have the folks that support our rights to collectively bargain and labor standards,” said Tom Dicklich, executive director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council. “On the other side, [Republicans] may not do that, but they support the projects.”
The article continues to outline perspectives from various Congressional races in Minnesota looking at how candidates approach the data center issue.
Google’s proposed data center in Pine Island got a vote of confidence from the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The chamber, which represents businesses in Rochester and surrounding communities, said Project Skyway “represents a significant opportunity for Pine Island and the surrounding region through new investment, job growth, infrastructure, education, tax-base growth, and continued economic development.”
Developed by Twin Cities-based Ryan Companies, LLC, the data center project would support more than 700 skilled trades jobs during construction and create roughly 100 permanent jobs once the data center is operational, making Google Pine Island’s second-largest employer.
The project would include $100 million in utility and road infrastructure upgrades/expansion funded by Ryan Companies, a $24 million fund to support Pine Island schools, $3 million in direct funding for the city of Pine Island — in addition to the more than $130 million in new property tax revenue — over the first 28 years of the project, according to a financial agreement passed in February 2026.
An agreement between Xcel Energy and Google would add 1,900 megawatts of new clean-energy resources to the grid, including 1,400 megawatts of wind, 200 megawatts of solar, and 300 megawatts of battery storage.
A coalition of nine Minnesota organizations has launched a new website aimed at informing voters about issues surrounding large-scale data center development in the state.
The coalition, No Dirty Data Centers MN, announced Monday that its website, mndatacentervoter.org, is intended to serve as a nonpartisan resource for voters concerned about the potential health, environmental and financial impacts of hyperscale data centers. The site presents information in a question-and-answer format and outlines policies the coalition says are needed to protect communities.
The article mentions the organizations involved…
According to the coalition, organizations behind the website include Clean Water Action, Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development, CURE, Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, Mukwa, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, Stop the Pine Island Data Center and Stop the Hermantown Data Center.
After more than two hours of public comment and council discussion, the Northfield City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday night to reduce the required setback between data-processing facilities and parks or trails from roughly three-quarters of a mile to 200 feet.
But the setback change was only part of the story. In a separate motion, the council also directed staff to explore a tiered regulatory framework for data-processing facilities as part of the upcoming Land Development Code update, looking beyond just power consumption to include water use and other emerging concerns.
Some of the details…
The city’s regulations include 17 performance standards covering noise, water use, glare, vibrations and more. They also require a conditional use permit triggered by any water use.
And more on the vote…
After the vote, the council approved a second motion directing staff to explore the tiered regulatory framework and performance standards recommended by the planning commission, looking beyond just power consumption. That motion also passed without dissent.
The Federal Communications Commission is considering a request to loosen rules on political robocalls, including those with AI-generated voices. Current federal law bans most robocalls to cellphones without prior consent. The Republican-led FCC has advanced the petition for public comment and could rule on it by late October. Consumer advocacy groups warn this change could lead to a surge of unwanted, partisan and potentially misleading automated calls before this year’s midterm elections. The Club for Growth, the conservative group seeking the change, argues it could improve voter communication and polling accuracy.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, roll call, approval of minutes from September Task Force meeting, and presentation and introduction from Melissa Wolf and Midco.
10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. Continue Task Force discussion on E-Rate and update from Task Force member work since September meeting.
11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Office of Broadband Development (OBD) overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD).
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Subgroup work time, have leads share out (1—2 minutes) on work at and since September meeting, breakout into subgroups for work time. Subgroups will aim to identify and finalize information needed for the background section to support eventual recommendations.
Open the floor to other business, November’s meeting plans, and meeting wrap-up. Meeting adjourned for online attendees.
12:10 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
In-person lunch provided by Midco.
1:00 p.m., Optional tour for in-person attendees
After lunch, in-person option to tour Wyoming Headend at Wyoming Headend at 26785 Fallbrook Ave, Wyoming, MN 55092 (10—15 minute drive from meeting area).
Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates
Broadband Task Force, October meeting plans
Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses
Comcast’s Nowthen Hunt.Fish.Feed and Veterans Memorial donation
Governor’s Broadband Task Force, October meeting plans
The Governor’s Broadband Task Force will meet Thursday October 8 at 10 a.m. CT. This meeting will be hybrid, with an in-person option in Isanti, Minnesota and is open to anyone from the public to attend. Information on this upcoming meeting, as well as past meetings, can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.
Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
The majority of BEAD projects are currently awaiting scope change approvals through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Approvals to scope changes are delayed due to a scheduled federal pause. OBD and BEAD recipients continue preparing contracting materials as able to ensure agreements can move forward as soon as federal review resumes. Updates and resources can be found on the OBD BEAD webpage.
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 on timelines, and will provide further updates and resources as available to keep partners and providers informed. Currently, the estimated timeline (subject to change from NTIA) for a second Restructured Round is:
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.
Comcast’s Nowthen Hunt.Fish.Feed and Veterans Memorial donation
On Monday, September 21, community leaders, residents, and partners gathered in Nowthen to celebrate the completion of a major broadband expansion project that is bringing reliable, high-speed internet service to local homes and businesses.The milestone represents the successful collaboration of Comcast, the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development through its Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program, Anoka County, and the City of Nowthen. Together, these partners helped deliver critical broadband infrastructure to an area where many residents and businesses had long awaited dependable connectivity.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Glen R. Smith announced today that Rural Development invested nearly $25 billion in loans and grants in fiscal year 2026. These investments are helping rural communities grow and maintain critical services that families, farmers, and businesses rely on every day.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA is delivering the infrastructure and resources rural America needs to compete, grow, and prosper,” said Under Secretary Smith. “Consistent with the President’s executive orders to cut red tape, unleash American energy, and put rural communities first, Rural Development is investing in the infrastructure that keeps our communities strong, our farmers competitive, and our small towns thriving for generations to come.”
Through these investments, Rural Development is delivering modern infrastructure, affordable housing, and new economic opportunities to rural communities. These investments are creating measurable improvements in access to clean water, reliable power, broadband connectivity, health care facilities, emergency services, and safe, affordable housing, while boosting local economies.
Below are several key areas where Rural Development investments delivered real impacts across rural America in fiscal year 2026:
Water and Environmental Programs: Rural Development invested $1.3 billion to build and repair water and wastewater systems, protecting public health and supporting economic growth in small towns nationwide.
Electric Programs: Rural Development invested $9.7 billion to enhance the reliability and affordability of rural electric infrastructure.
Telecommunications: Rural Development invested $267 million to expand internet access to rural households, farms, businesses, and community institutions.
Community Facilities: Rural Development invested $897.8 million to build and improve hospitals, fire stations, first responder equipment, and other essential community facilities.
Business Programs: Rural Development invested $1.8 billion to support rural small businesses, value-added agriculture, and job creation through loans and grants that strengthen local economies.
Housing Programs: Rural Development invested $10.9 billion to help rural families achieve safe, affordable homeownership and to support the development of affordable rural rental housing.
Disaster Recovery: Rural Development invested $100.5 million to help rural communities rebuild critical infrastructure following natural disasters.
Rural Development State Offices will follow with local announcements highlighting specific projects and successes in their communities, watch for additional coverage in the days ahead.
These investments mark only the beginning of USDA’s commitment to deliver resources that communities can rely on to improve their quality of life. Focusing on the needs of rural America helps build more resilient communities across the nation.
For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making agency investment data accessible to the public.
A coalition of cable television and broadband Internet companies from nearly a dozen states have filed a formal petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking the agency to reconsider its decision to eliminate a long-standing rule that limits the number of broadcast TV and radio stations one company may own outright.
The filing was made this week by a group consisting of broadband and cable TV trade associations from states like Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The request calls for an administrative stay and injunction pending a judicial review of the matter — a strong indication that the groups, and others, are likely preparing a legal challenge to the FCC’s earlier decision to eliminate the national TV ownership cap.
In August, the FCC voted 2-1 along party lines to remove the ownership cap, which previously limited broadcasters to owning a collection of licensed TV stations that reach less than 40 percent of the American viewing population.
The measure had broad Republican support, with backing from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who said the elimination of the ownership rule was necessary to help broadcasters compete against streaming services and support their local news initiatives.
After more than a month of delays, the FCC formalized the act by publishing it on October 1. The rule change takes effect 60 days from the date it is published in the Federal Register.
But opponents of the move, including the cable TV and broadband groups, argue that the FCC exceeded its authority because Congress set the broadcast TV limitation through legislation.
Arvig, headquartered in Perham, says it distributed more than $130,000 to local K-12 schools over the past year through its Internet School Partnership Program.
The program allows Arvig internet customers to designate a local school to receive support from the company. Arvig says the program has now provided nearly $1.86 million directly to participating school districts over the years.
Arvig is also expanding its school partnerships with a new educational program called Let’s Talk Tech, part of the company’s Digital Life Skills resources.
The program provides lessons on online safety and how the internet works. Arvig volunteers can present the material to second and third grade students at no cost to schools.
Schools and community members can also find information about the Internet School Partnership Program and enrolling a school for the upcoming year at Arvig.com.
To discuss, Amanda Garcia, senior attorney and data center lead at the Southern Environmental Law Center, recently joined “Marketplace Morning Report” host Kimberly Adams. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
You can listen to (or read) the story online. They go on to discuss the EPA rollbacks and Clean Air Act and the impact on communities and data center development is changes are made.
Otter Tail County commissioner candidates answered questions concerning taxes, data centers at a candidate forum Four candidates for the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners made their case to voters at a forum organized by the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s Meet the Candidates forum series on Friday, Oct. 2.
District 2 candidates Jeff Gontarek and incumbent Wayne Johnson and District 4 candidates Stephen Springer and Jim Stewart answered five questions on the economy before a chamber audience. Chamber President Lisa Workman hosted the event and radio host Dave Bishop moderated.
Here’s what they said about data centers…
Data centers, nondisclosure agreements and artificial intelligence
Springer, answering first, said he was conditionally open to data centers if they are kept off farmland and use closed-loop systems that do not drain local water and power resources. He said nondisclosure agreements are sometimes necessary in business, a practice he has used himself.
Johnson warned that building data centers damages local infrastructure, citing road destruction around a Fargo-area project, and said the county needs stronger siting ordinances and should make developers pay for damage and dedicate haul roads. He said he would not personally sign a nondisclosure agreement and favors transparency, adding that AI adoption is up to individual businesses.
Gontarek said he opposes any data center in the county and would not sign nondisclosure agreements as an elected official, calling transparency essential. He urged caution on AI, citing misleading AI-enhanced real estate photos, and said the county should not dictate AI use to residents.
Stewart said that he thought more research needed to be done, but he definitely did not agree with NDAs, unless it was proprietary information.
Google is hoping to build a nearly 1.7-million-square-foot data center near Midway and Morris Thomas roads, but faces stiff opposition from residents concerned about its environmental impact.
The City Council unanimously approved an updated environmental review of Google’s proposed nearly 1.7-million-square-foot data center Monday.
The latest Alternative Urban Areawide Review, or AUAR, of the project studied the effects of the data center planned near Morris Thomas and Midway roads, though opponents have long argued it didn’t go far enough and the city should instead conduct a more stringent environmental impact statement.
It’s the second time the city has approved an AUAR for the project. Hermantown’s earlier review did not describe it as a data center, but the latest AUAR includes more details about the project, including that it is a data center.
McLeod County Chronicle reports...
