MN Broadband Task Force Meeting Oct 2026 at Midco
The MN Broadband Task Force met in Isanti and 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 members met in small groups to discussion two aspects of the annual report: Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development and Mapping, Policy, and Funding.
League of MN Cities – Data Centers: What Cities Need to Know
LMC has created FAQs designed to provide information to cities about data centers. They will update this information as necessary.
The University of Minnesota unveils a tool kit for local government decision makers on data centers
The guide includes sections on how data centers can impact energy and water usage, and how these impacts can be regulated at the local level to manage environmental impacts. It also includes guiding questions for city leaders to ask if they get an inquiry from big tech about a data center proposal as well as examples of how to address data centers in local code.
MN Letters to the editor on data centers (Sep 24-Oct 22, 2026
This is the third of a monthly edition of letters to editors in local papers about data centers. There were a lot of decisions made in municipalities with proposed data centers, especially toward the end of the month.
State News
- Minnesota DNR warns hunters and anglers to avoid AI for researching season open and close dates
- Member of MN Citizens Utility Board question whether current data center proposals will comply with Minnesota law
- Data centers in MN have received $1+ billion in tax breaks since 2015
- KSTP creates an interactive map of data centers in Minnesota
- Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative looks at data center issues – including in MN
- Data centers come up in debates in Minnesota House 45A (DFLer Tracey Breazeale and Republican state Rep. Andrew Myers)
- Data centers aren’t the only local businesses looking to benefit from data center industry in Minnesota
- MN 1st Congressional District race faces questions about AI-generated ads
- Data centers come up in MN Senate Race: Views from Peggy Flanagan and Michele Tafoya
- DEED awards more than $2.5 million in grants to Minnesota Colleges and Universities for employer workforce development projects
- Minnesota School Boards Association (and others) comments on FCC efforts to reduce E-Rate
- Data centers come up in MN Gubernatorial Debate
- Broadband expansion comes up in City Council debates in Minnesota Senate District 15
- 6 Policy levers communities can use to shape data center energy impacts – with a nod to Minnesota
- Property tax / tax abatements can involve large sums of money in MN communities
- Pew looks at dedicated state deployment funding including $323 million in MN border to border grants
- Star Tribune/KARE 11 Poll shows found that 68% of likely MN voters are wary of AI
- Candidates are learning that personal stock holdings and data center policy issues can clash
- Data centers come up in MN House District 6B Debate between Representative Josh Heintzeman and Nicky Hardy
- State policymakers looking at data centers focus on water use, reporting and disclosure requirements
- MN Star Tribune say Data centers are key midterm issue in Minnesota
- Data centers come up in debate between US Rep. Pete Stauber and DFL challenger Trina Swanson
- MN unions support data center development and bring a new lens to local political landscape
- MN Coalition unveils website focused on data center issues ahead of election
- FCC considers allowing more political robocalls before midterms, including AI calls
- USDA invested $267 million in FY 2026 to expand broadband to rural communities
- Broadband groups want FCC to reverse deletion of TV ownership rule (including groups in MN)
National News
- Benton Institute’s update on Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program
- Did FCC exceed their authority when it established the USAC to administer the Universal Service Fund?
- Pew outlines 4 cornerstones of broadband to drive State policies
- Could data centers help supplement USF?
- Pew looks broadly at mobile device use since 2000
- Pew looks broadly at home internet use since 2000
- National poll indicates people think data center companies should pay for power system upgrades
- Tribal broadband is a connection to language, health care, education and economic development
- SHLB looks at economics of cutting E-Rate. It would cost the US $4.2 Billion a Year
- Possible unintended consequence of BEAD? Millions of 811 Tickets
Vendor/Technology News
- Data centers consumed 4.4% of US electricity use in 2023
- Providers looking to put cell towers in space to reach rural roads
- Verizon wants to discontinue landlines in MN but that could leave customers without reliable service
- Intermountain Infrastructure Group (IIG) is building 250 miles of fiber in MN then expanding westward
- Senator Tina Smith cautions on betting too heavily on AI
- Local broadband provider Arvig gives more Than $130,000 to local schools
- Marketplace discusses proposed EPA rollbacks that could impact public engagement
Office of Broadband Development Updates and News:
- OBD Broadband Update Oct 21: Training, BEAD and Line Extension news
- Office of Broadband Development Update Oct 7 2026: BEAD, Line Extension, upcoming Task Force meeting
Local Broadband News
Aitkin County
Paul Bunyan Communication almost done on all-fiber broadband expansion in Central Aitkin County
Big Stone
Big Stone County Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on new data centers
Caledonia
Caledonia City Council approves one-year data center moratorium (Fillmore County)
Cannon Falls
Cannon Falls City Council approves final plat for data center development (Goodhue County)
Carlton
Carlton County places a one-year moratorium on data centers starting Aug 2026
Chisago County
East Central Energy Cooperative CEO talks data centers in Chisago County
Chisago County Commissioners approved one-year Moratorium on Data Centers in August 2026
Clay County
Data centers come up in debates in Clay County Commission
Crow Wing County
BlockchAIn Digital Infrastructure Inc. plans Crow Wing County data center
Dakota County
Marketplace APM features data center issues in Farmington and Rosemount (Dakota County)
Douglas County
County of Douglas Board of Commissioners discuss data centers in September 2026
Elk River
Popular Elk River candidates discuss data centers (Wright County)
Elko New Market
Elko New Market has a temporary moratorium from May 2026-2027 (Scott County)
Glencoe
Revolve Labs launches website for Glencoe data center information (McLeod County)
Harmony
Data centers come up in Mayoral Debate in Harmony (Fillmore County)
Hermantown
Hermantown moves ahead with proposed Google data center, despite opposition
Hermantown City Council rescheduled again to vote on several items related to Google data center
Hermantown City Council cancelled rescheduled meeting on data centers
Google data center vote postponed in Hermantown to 7:30pm Oct 27
Residents have reservations about Google’s decommissioning agreement in Hermantown
More details on Hermantown City Council’s agreement for Googles proposed data center (St Louis County)
EVENT Oct 26: Hermantown’s City Council to discussion data center and permitting (St Louis County)
Google will no longer seek tax breaks in Hermantown (St Louis County)
Hermantown mayor tables vote on Minnesota Power transmission line review to serve Google data center (St Louis County)
Hermantown approves updated data center Alternative Urban Areawide Review (St Louis County)
Hibbing
Updates on Paul Bunyan Communication’s Expansion to City of Hibbing
Houston County
Houston Commissioners decide not to establish a data center moratorium yet
Itasca & St Louis Counties
Paul Bunyan Communication expands broadband to 600 locations in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County announced a one-year moratorium on data centers in June 2026
Lino Lakes
Lino Lakes City Council continues to discuss data centers (Anoka County)
Minneapolis
Minneapolis Planning Commission closer to adopting zoning regulations specifically designed for modern data centers (Hennepin County)
EVENT Oct 13: Minneapolis Planning Commission agenda include data centers
Monticello
Monticello City Council to hold a Nov 9 public hearing on the proposed data center
Xcel explains cost protections, grid reliability as Monticello council presses for answers about proposed data center
Monticello Commissioners vote to recommend approval of applications that open the door to a specific hyperscale data center (Wright County)
Morse
Town of Morse to help match IRRRB funds to help Treehouse Broadband expand (St. Louis County)
Nicollet County
Nicollet County Board of Commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers in July 2026
Nobles County
Nobles County rejected a data center proposal in April 2026
Olmsted & Dodge Counties
Data centers come up in Olmsted and Dodge County forum hosted by Farmers Unions
Otter Tail County
Candidates running in Otter Tail County answer 5 questions, data center comes up
Owatonna
Owatonna Planning Commission proposes zoning ordinance updates include data center definitions (Steele County)
Data centers come up in City Council debates in Owatonna (Steele County)
Pine Island
Pine Island City Council ends data center litigation between MCEA and Google and mandates a new environmental assessment (Goodhue County)
Tech Buzz calls data center project in Pine Island a possible case study (Goodhue County)
EVENT Oct 22: Minnesota PUC looks at Google’s data-center power deal in Pine Island (Goodhue County)
Google hopes that its new data center plan will build goodwill with the Pine Island (Goodhue County)
Rochester
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce announces support for data center in Pine Island (Olmsted County)
Shakopee
Shakopee shares information on Dean Lakes data centers and local policies (Scott County)
St Cloud
St. Cloud City Council will vote on data center ordinance on Oct 19 (Stearns County)
St Cloud Planning Commission plans to amend Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to address data centers
St. Cloud City Commission to discuss Planning Commission recommendations for Data Center Rules on Oct 13 (Stearns County)
Steele County
Data centers come up in race for Steele County Commissioner District 1 seat
Swift County
Swift County Commission is thinking about data centers
Todd County
Todd County Commissioners vote yes on data center moratorium
Willmar
Willmar City Council approves moving forward with the Willmar Connect project
Willmar Connect plans to go live this year, 2026! (Kandiyohi County)
Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Resources
- EVENT Nov 5: AI and data centers talk, Q&A in Winona
- EVENT Nov 9: Hearing on data center proposal in Monticello (Wright County)
- EVENT Nov 10: Harmony city council to discuss data center draft ordinance (Fillmore County)
- EVENT Nov 12: MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- EVENT: St. Cloud advances data center ordinance, public hearing scheduled for Nov. 16 (Stearns County)
- EVENT Nov 17: Brown County’s Board of Commissioners to talk about data centers
- EVENT Nov 18: Faribault Council chats about data center ordinances (Rice County)
EVENT Nov 19, 2026: MN Rural Health Policy Summit - EVENT Nov 30 – Dec 2: AscendRural National Summit
- EVENT Dec 10: MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- EVENT Feb 24-26, 2026: Net Inclusion 2027
- OPPORTUNITY: Seven Star Communities: Calling for Applications to Recognize Native Entities
- RESOURCE: League of MN Cities – Data Centers: What Cities Need to Know
- TOOL: Website that ranks potential datacenter sites by looking at power availability, speed-to-power, fiber, water, and hazard
- RESOURCE: League of Minnesota Cities announces a model artificial intelligence policy