A data center project from C-MN Data Centers Inc and AAIM Data Centers at 2203 3rd Avenue has drawn scrutiny in Mountain Lake after some members of the community have claimed there wasn’t enough public notice from the city.
The city said it had public hearings for the project’s conditional use permit back in 2025 on Oct. 20 and Nov. 6.
Faith Hall, a local nurse, claims many of her neighbors weren’t even aware that the project was moving forward after it was originally discussed.
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City Administrator Michael Mueller claims the project could have a lot of benefits.
“The data center is anticipated to provide long-term economic benefits by increasing the city’s tax base and supporting future investment in the city’s electric infrastructure. The additional utility revenue will help stabilize electric rates for residents and businesses while strengthening the reliability and capacity of the electric system,” Mueller said.
The city also expects the facility to generate $400,000 in annual gross margin for its electrical utility, which it claims could help halt climbing electricity rates.
Sawatzky is skeptical that increased electricity usage will lead to cheaper rates. …
Others like Brittany Winters are unsure if the potential benefits are worth the tradeoffs from noise and environmental pollution that a large data center might entail.