MPR reports…

Staffers with tech giant Google turned on the charm and put in some face time in Minnesota this week, as the company tried to smooth over some ruffled feathers and win over naysayers in two small towns where it hopes to build massive data centers.

Wednesday evening Google hosted what it called a community celebration in Pine Island, about 20 minutes northwest of Rochester, with free food, live music and family activities.

Meanwhile, 200 miles to the north in Hermantown, just outside Duluth, Google hosted an open house to answer questions from area residents about the hyperscale data center it wants to build there.

The event in Pine Island was pretty laid back as people gobbled up the free food and kids jumped in bouncy houses, a sharp contrast to the Hermantown meeting, where data center opponents disrupted Google’s presentation and several of them were escorted out by police.

The meetings come as Google faces some uncertainty with both projects. In Hermantown, where the project still needs city council approval, the proposal is facing intensified opposition after recordings were leaked of senior Hermantown officials mocking data center opponents.

The Pine Island data center project is also now on hold, even though city officials have signed off on it while a judge considers the merits of a lawsuit seeking a more thorough environmental review.

KAAL TV reports…

Freeborn County is putting off data center development for another year as officials work on rules for how those projects could be regulated.

The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners approved an extension of its data center moratorium following a public hearing on August 18.

The original moratorium was approved on August 19, 2025, and stopped the county from accepting, processing or approving permits for data centers in the unincorporated parts of Freeborn County.

The new resolution extends that moratorium through August 19, 2027.

The county says its current regulations aren’t enough to address the specific impacts of data centers and that allowing the moratorium to expire could threaten public safety and the orderly development of the county.

The McLeod County Chronicle reports…

Plans for a new Revolve Labs data center in Glencoe are moving forward, but questions surrounding noise, water use, the project’s location, and its long-term impact on the community continue to follow the development.
Those concerns have surfaced as Revolve Labs prepares for a new data center technology campus that will include up to approximately 80,000 square feet of building space and represent an initial investment of at least $459.9 million.
The Glencoe City Council approved a development agreement with Revolve Labs July 20. The agreement describes the project as an opportunity to expand the city’s tax base, create employment and business opportunities, and bring infrastructure improvements to the community.
But as the city and Revolve Labs move forward with an investment approaching half a billion dollars, uncertainty remains over some of the most basic information surrounding the company’s presence in Glencoe.
Questions about Revolve Labs’ familiarity with the community have emerged over details that would seem almost impossible for a company already operating in the city not to know: Where is its existing facility, and where will its new one be located? Yet Revolve Labs has provided conflicting information about both.

On a high level those questions focus on:

• Info the company
• Noise
• Water use
• What Glencoe gains

I mentioned the data center meetings in Minneapolis’ North Loop earlier, today MPR talks more about the meetings led by the Minnesota Design Center. They heard about how the first meeting went last night (Aug 18)…

MARY BINKLEY: It was a really nice exercise that Dr. Burga and his colleagues from the U had US go through. There were giant maps of the North Loop at several tables, and they asked us to plot where in the North Loop, where are the things that we love about the North Loop, what do we think is missing, and what are the concerns about data centers.

And as I was looking at what people put on their Post-It notes, I learned that people really, really value the green space that we have in the North Loop along the Mississippi River as well as our small business community. This is a community that has everybody’s favorite restaurants and coffee shops and gyms and retailers, and that definitely came out in the feedback on the maps that we saw last night. It was a good exercise.

And a little bit on the agenda for the next meeting (Aug 20)…

FERNANDO BURGA: Certainly. Because we have to understand what is important for the community to be able to guide the work. So we start by understanding exactly how the community sees itself. What are the values, locations, histories that define the community.

From there, we move into a more systematic way to understanding impacts, which is what we’re going to be doing today. Today we’re going to be focusing on the question of data center impacts. And similarly to the maps, we have a series of tools that have been developed by our researchers here at the Minnesota Design Center to continue the process of collecting information and understanding the hopes, the dreams, the stories that define essentially how people see themselves, how they see their community impacted, and how they see the region impacted.

These tools are going to be geared around issues related to water, energy, economy, society, family, neighborhood, and also neighborhoods, people that live in other places that may enjoy coming to the North Loop. So we’re aiming to develop essentially an archive, also a system of information that we can then look at, and then on Thursday, we’re going to be considering alternatives. What are the ways that we can think about moving forward? Based on tomorrow’s presentation, we’re going to be able to develop that workshop, and then on Saturday we’re going to have a final share out with the community about next steps.

They also talk about the difference between rural and urban conversations about data centers…

FERNANDO BURGA: So the main similarity is that there’s deep concern and confusion about data centers coming to people’s communities. There is a lack of information, transparency. There is misinformation. People do not know what they don’t know. People feel paralyzed.

In many ways, each community is different and unique. We’re finding that specific communities across rural Minnesota are developing alternatives that include thinking about the design and the placement of buildings, for example. Some of them are in complete opposition, and this is a very divisive topic, one which is really affecting people emotionally and mentally also.

Through our work in empowering small Minnesota communities’ partnership with University of Minnesota Extension, we are considering these questions, and we are developing essentially a set of engagement, models, kits, tools but also developing the research and the questions that allow us then to move forward proactively and work with a community like the North Loop Neighbors Association in the North Loop that is open and available to be able to have this type of conversation with the public.

The Duluth News Tribune reports on incidents and issues that arose in Hermantown…

City officials apologized Monday night for disparaging comments about opponents of a proposed Google data center.

But that did little to alleviate the anger of community members, who turned out to condemn the leaked audio remarks and again take a stand against the 1.66-million-square-foot project in the southwest corner of the city.

Some results…

Mayor Wayne Boucher, Police Chief Jim Crace and City Administrator John Mulder all addressed the public at the start of the meeting.

A Google representative also announced the company was mutually agreeing to terminate all nondisclosure agreements with city officials “in the spirit of openness and partnership.”

The Duluth Monitor last week reported on recordings of an internal staff meeting from June in which leaders were heard talking about community members who addressed the council.

And an update on the data center in question…

Tyler Huebner, a Google representative, provided a brief update with updated designs. He said the facility’s footprint has been reduced slightly and will include three data center buildings, three mechanical buildings, a two-story office building and a fire-suppression building.

The Laker Pioneer reports…

The Minnetrista City Council approved several new ordinances at its Aug. 3 meeting, including one that authorizes a study of and a one-year moratorium on data centers.

David Abel, community development director, explained that the city has not received any data center applications but wants to get ahead of the issue as new projects emerge elsewhere in the metro area. Mayor Lisa Whalen said the moratorium will give the city time to establish rules and regulations for data centers, as Minnetrista currently has no ordinances governing them.

Council member Brian Govern took a different view, supporting the study but opposing the moratorium. He said data centers could present an opportunity for Minnetrista and a moratorium could take the city out of the running. Govern also said data centers do not pose unique risks compared with other heavy industrial uses and noted that, because Minnetrista has few industrial-zoned areas, a proposed data center would likely require rezoning, giving the council an opportunity to review it.

The council approved the moratorium 3-1, with council member Cathleen Reffkin absent. 

Mankato Free Press reports…

The North Mankato City Council continued discussions Monday on a proposed moratorium on large-scale data centers, reviewing potential size and water-use thresholds, environmental review, zoning and the scope and cost of a possible study.

Under the parameters discussed at Monday’s work session, the proposed moratorium would prohibit data centers larger than 150,000 square feet or using more than 50,000 gallons of water per day.

No official action was taken and a second public hearing and consideration of the proposed moratorium will come before the council in the coming weeks.

The discussion followed the council’s Aug. 3 meeting, when members tabled action on a proposed interim ordinance to allow additional research after about 40 minutes of public testimony. Nearly every speaker supported a temporary pause while the city studies how data centers should be regulated.

MinnPost looks at the impact of data center decision on local elections…

How do you feel about data centers? 

“It’s usually the first topic I’m asked about,” said Lexi Temple, one of a half-dozen candidates who advanced to November’s general election. “It’s by far the top priority.”

One of several Minnesota cities eyed as landing spots for hyperscale AI data centers, Faribault highlights how the issue is beginning to shape elections. It is spurring newcomers to run for office on “transparency” platforms in some of the same places where local officials signed non-disclosure agreements to keep data center details out of the public eye.

Where is this noticeable?

MinnPost monitored city council filings in six cities prominently linked to data center developments over the last couple of years: Faribault, Farmington, Hermantown, Monticello, North Mankato and Pine Island.

In all six, there was an uptick in candidate filings this year compared with 2024. Faribault and North Mankato saw the biggest increases:

Faribault: 10 candidates (+4 from 2024)

North Mankato: 8 candidates (+4)

Farmington: 6 candidates (+2)

Hermantown: 4 candidates (+2)

Pine Island: 4 candidates (+2)

Monticello: 4 candidates (+1)

They found that the mayoral elections in these towns also had more candidates.

Data centers have been an increasingly hot topic for the last year and more. I’ve posted informational articles, events (announcements and notes), decisions and counter decisions. People are learning more. There seem to be few absolutes but a wide range of opinions and levels of passion. I think it’s valuable to look at all sides because each community and each proposal is unique. In that spirit, I have been collecting editorials that have crossed my transom with minimal curation in the last month to share with readers in chronological order.

It’s meant as a quick scan of what topics are rising to the top for others. I will likely continue to collect and post in the future.

Letter to the Editor: Stop the data center
Jul 17 2026, Cannon Falls Beacon
“This is not a Red hat vs Blue hat issue. This is an economic and environmental issue. Data Centers have proven to be horrible neighbors, taking far, far more than they give communities. Big Tech is fully aware of that, too, which is why they come in so stealthily with high pressure, manipulative campaigns that promise way more than they ever deliver.”

T. Matthew Robinson-Aguirre letter: Data centers are the litmus test for local elections
July 18, 2026 West Central Tribune
“The letter author writes of his opposition to any data center in Kandiyohi County.”

Port: Regulatory filings show Ellendale data center benefited power customers by over $38.4M
July 20, 2026, InForum
“The opponents of data centers want us to believe that there is no way to build them responsibly. That is demonstrably untrue.”

In Response: Arguments for data centers don’t stand up in Hermantown – Duluth News Tribune
July 23, 206, Duluth News Tribune
From the column: “Iron Range development officials ought to be begging for data centers to reuse … abandoned mine operations.”

COMMENTARY: 8 Claims You’re Hearing About Hyperscale Data Center Proposals, and What We Know Right Now
July 24, 2026, Minnesota Women’s Press
From Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

Letter: Tech investments create good jobs
July 25, 2026Post Bulletin
The writer is regulatory affairs coordinator for IUOE Local 49.

Minnesota can’t afford to turn away infrastructure of the future
July 26, 2026, Worthington Globe
Opinion by Doug Loon, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, and Tom Dicklich, Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council executive director

National View: Expect more data center moratoriums — and slower growth
July 30, 2026, Duluth News Tribune
From the column: “Some people are even willing to forgo a cure for cancer to slow down AI.”

Column: Data center explosion needs human deliberation
July 30, 2026 Hometown Sources
From the column:  “Every city and county in Minnesota should give this issue a lot of thought, as the possibility that it could land in your lap someday soon is quite real.”

Reader’s View: Resist data centers by getting offline
Aug 5, 2026 Duluth News Tribune
But this convenience has created in us an intolerance to ever being inconvenienced

In Response: Environmental review isn’t obstruction — it’s the law
Aug 7, 2026 Duluth News Tribune
From the column: “Hyperscale data center proposals continue to make the mistake of trying to shortcircuit our environmental laws and deny our residents their right to have a meaningful say.”

Letter: Don’t overlook air pollution from data centers
Aug 8, 2026, Post Bulletin Rochester
From the letter: “Air pollution can travel hundreds of miles — look no further than the recent Boundary Waters smoke.”

Letter: Embrace economic opportunity of data centers
Aug 11, 2026, Post Bulletin
The writer is a member of Local 1382 of the Mid-America Regional Council of Carpenters.

Chisago County Commissioners vote to impose a one-year moratorium on applications
Aug 13, 2026, St Paul Pioneer Press
“Whatever the fate of data centers, such steps will only accelerate American spacefaring and innovation. There’s little to lose and a universe to gain.”

Darlene Kotelnicki letter: Thank you for your data center concerns letter
Aug 16 2026, West Central Tribune
“I currently sit on the Litchfield City Council and requested this topic be put on our agenda recently.”

Minnesota Opinion: With updates, NewRange mine a better project
Aug 17, 2026, West Central Tribune
From the editorial: “Minnesota’s environmental review and permitting process (is) working as intended — allowing science, engineering, and public input to refine a project as new information emerges.”