A coalition of Minnesotans opposed to the development of data centers has a wishlist for the current legislative session with a hierarchy of priorities.
Banning local officials from signing non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, would be nice, they say. Ditto for requiring public hearings and disclosures prior to the approval of data center permits.
What the group wants above all, though, is a moratorium on proposed projects in Hermantown, Pine Island, Monticello, Farmington, North Mankato and other cities.
“We’re begging, urging the state to pause,” said Rebecca Gilbertson, who lives about a half-mile from a planned Google data center in Hermantown.
There’s a discussion about NDAs…
NDAs are common tools — too common in the eyes of those advocating against them — used in economic development. They allow plans to simmer behind the scenes before any public scrutiny can boil over at public meetings. The normalization of NDAs prompted a St. Louis County commissioner to propose a ban on them last year.
Business groups, however, argue that NDA bans would stymie development.
“Without some level of confidentiality during those early conversations, companies may be unwilling to explore potential projects in Minnesota while evaluating investments across multiple states or competing communities within the same region,” wrote a group of economic organizations in a letter submitted to the Legislature.
And discussion on proposed moratorium on data centers…
A moratorium bill introduced by Sen. Jennifer McEwen, DFL-Duluth, would halt local permits for data centers until the state’s Public Utilities Commission submits a report to the Legislature on energy usage, water usage and other impacts. The bill would delay development until at least a year after the report’s submission, theoretically pushing back local approvals into 2029.