Blandin on Broadband

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Category Archives: Conferences

EVENT Nov 12: Broadband Task Force, November Monthly Meeting

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The Office of Broadband Development announces the agenda for the November meeting of the MN Broadband Task Force…

Broadband Task Force, November Monthly Meeting

Date: 11/12/2026

Virtual Meeting Join the meeting now.

· Meeting ID and Pass Code: 254 733 753 476 50 and V8hn3kW2

· Dial in by phone: +1 651-395-7448,,135225071# United States, Minneapolis · Join on a video conferencing device: Tenant key: mn@m.webex.com and Video ID: 117 416 054 4

Meeting Agenda

10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. – Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and approval of minutes from October Task Force meeting.

10:05 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. – Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance presentation and overview of work.

10:50 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Office of Broadband Development (OBD) overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD) and Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment updates from Jennifer Frost (State/Federal Programs and Compliance Manager, OBD).

11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Task Force updates and discussion on progress on the 2026 annual report including:

· Share-out from subgroup leads, Melissa Wolf and Marc Johnson on where recommendations are at and other discussion from the meetings

· Discussion on Task Force wide recommendation around speed goals and other items to include for “long term” goals for the report (i.e. Data centers, AI, etc.)

11:30 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. – Open the floor to other business, December’s meeting plans, and meeting wrap-up.

11:35 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Subgroup breakout, work time until the end.

EVENT Nov 16: Rochester City Council to Vote on Interim Ordinance That Would Enact Data Center Moratorium (Olmsted County)

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The Rochester City Council meets on November 16 (you can view it online). Y105 reports on the agenda…

The agenda item for Monday’s vote says the impact data centers have on public health and welfare is “not fully understood or known at this time.”
The listed potential impact areas include planning functions, public utilities, and the environment. Rochester’s Unified Development Code does not have specific regulations regarding data centers, according to the agenda item.
Staff is recommending the elected leaders enact a moratorium on data centers to allow for adequate time to allow for what the agenda item describes as a “meaningful study” to help learn more about data center impacts and to determine rules and regulations.

Hutchinson drafts regulations for future data center proposals: public meeting planned for Nov 10

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KSN reports…

Hutchinson is taking steps to regulate data centers before one is proposed in the city.

The drafted rules would limit where the facilities can be built and address their potential impact.

City leaders explained that data centers can bring economic investment, but also require significant amounts of water, electricity and land.

“There’s two sides of the quarter there of Hutchinson,” Elaine Carter, Hutchinson Planning Commission chair, said. “There’s the culture of not in our backyard, but there is also the culture of forward progress. So I think we want to maintain our homegrown values and we really want to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”

Data Centers are on the agenda for an upcoming meeting…

The planning commission is holding a public hearing on the regulations on Nov. 10, and the city council is expected to look at the rules on Dec. 1.

The drafted regulations are included in the planning commission agenda below.

Hutchinson Planning Commission Data Center Regulations DraftDownload

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EVENT Nov 10: FCC Nomination hearing looks at Trump’s FCC nominee, Danielle Thumann Severs

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Ars Technica reports...

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is aiming to widen the Republican majority on the Federal Communications Commission before Democrats take over control of the Senate in January 2027.

Just before the Republicans’ midterm loss, Cruz yesterday announced a November 10 nomination hearing for Trump’s FCC nominee, Danielle Thumann Severs. In his final two months as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Cruz seems set on moving the Thumann Severs nomination to a full vote of the Senate.
Confirming Thumann Severs would give Republicans an unusual 3-1 advantage on the FCC. That could become a 3-0 advantage at the end of 2027 because FCC Democrat Anna Gomez would have to leave the commission at that time if Trump does not agree to renominate her.

Monticello prepares for City Council hearing on Nov 9 by talking about transparency (Wright County)

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The Monticello Times reports..

What does transparency look like when a community is divided over a controversial development?

In Monticello, the question has become central to the debate over the proposed Edmonson Business Center, a roughly 547-acre hyperscale data center development proposed by Monticello Tech LLC south of 85th Street NE and east of Highway 25.

The proposal has raised questions about electricity demand, water use, noise from backup generators and the financial obligations associated with the development.

Some residents have accused city officials of withholding information or failing to adequately address their concerns, while others say the information is available but want more explanation of how and why decisions are being made.

The city has published studies, development applications and meeting materials on its website. Public meetings have been livestreamed and recorded, an open house was held on the area’s environmental review, and government records have been made available upon request.

Yet as the proposal approaches a pivotal City Council hearing Nov. 9, disagreement persists over whether making information available is the same as being transparent.

Faribault City Planning Commission and City Council meets Nov 2 and Nov 17 (Rice County)

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I know the meeting is over, but I don’t see an update yet, and I want to capture the intent; Hometown Source reports…

The Faribault Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, at Faribault City Hall, 208 First Ave. NW inside the Council Chambers.

The Planning Commission is considering proposed rules which will better address data centers through enforceable performance standards that are intended to serve as regulatory safeguards for our community.

The Planning Commission is not considering a data center application. Rather, it is considering the rules in which data centers must follow. The Planning Commission will receive public input as part of the public hearing process, and make a recommendation to the Faribault City Council.

Plans for a future meeting…

Following the recommendation from the Planning Commission, the Faribault City Council will discuss the proposed ordinance during its Nov. 17 Work Session. This will be discussion only, and no action will be taken.

At this meeting, a timeline will be established for when the proposed ordinance recommendation would be voted on.

EVENT Nov 9: Hearing on data center proposal in Monticello (Wright County)

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Monticello Times reports...

Residents will have another opportunity to weigh in on a proposed 550-acre data center campus when the Monticello City Council holds a public hearing Monday, Nov. 9, on a series of land-use applications that could determine whether the controversial project moves forward.

The council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Mississippi Room at the Monticello Community Center, 505 Walnut St.

The city has moved the meeting’s start time up by 30 minutes from the council’s usual 6:30 p.m. start in anticipation of a lengthy meeting.

The council will consider applications for the proposed Edmonson Business Center, a large-scale technology campus planned south of 85th Street NE and east of Highway 25.

 

A town hall meeting in Preston (MN) leads to questions about Minnesota power transmission around Fillmore and Houston Counties

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The Fillmore County Journal reports…

A town hall meeting hosted by NO765MN on October 21 at the Preston Riverfront Center drew a full house.

Concerned citizens gathered to learn more about the proposed 765 kV transmission line. The transmission line is to extend from the South Dakota border and run all across the southern edge of Minnesota to Wisconsin. The proposal includes a 139-mile electric transmission line (the proposed Gopher-Badger Link) extending from the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island through Marion area to Bell Center, Wisconsin. Opponents believe this transmission line is being planned to power a proposed Google data center near Pine Island. The Gopher to Badger Link includes the Minnesota segment of the Maribell transmission line.

Xcel Energy and Dairyland Power maintain this 765 kV transmission line is part of a regional transmission plan developed through the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and it will strengthen the regional grid.

Some details on the line in and around Fillmore and Houston Counties…

Charlie Wray, John Pugleasa, and Kyle Johnson are members of NO765MN, which is a coalition of Minnesota farmers, landowners, municipalities, residents, and local governments who stand against the proposed transmission lines.

Wray explained the proposed 765 kV line passes through Minnesota, but it will not provide power for a single home in the area. The 765kV line will be carrying power from the west to the east. The current 161kV line will be replaced with a double-circuit 765/161 kV line. The 765kV will be the most voltage proposed in the upper Midwest.

This line will require 250 foot right of ways. The 150- to 200-foot steel lattice towers will be installed every 1,000-1,500 feet, marring the landscape. Current 161 kV poles are only 70 feet tall. To support these towers, concrete piers as much as 50 feet deep will be drilled deep into the land to anchor the towers.

Pugleasa, a former public health director, said the proposed line will go across his property. He is bothered by the unanswered questions about the effect the lattice towers and deep concrete piers will have on karst geology including the effect on water tables and trout streams. There clearly will be some effect, towers installed in unstable bedrock might be a terrible idea.

In Fillmore and Houston Counties the proposed route will pass near Caledonia, Eitzen, Spring Grove, Canton, Mabel and Harmony.

Landowners have been asked to sign easements but have been kept in the dark as to the purpose.

Kyle Johnson, Houston County farm and forestry business, said this needs to be stopped with the “certificate of need.” They don’t need this. The demand for power in Minnesota peaked in 2006. Demand for power is declining.

EVENT Nov 5: AI and data centers talk, Q&A in Winona

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Winona Post reports…

AI has changed the world, and none of us know quite how it will impact us. It creates immense opportunity and could solve many of our problems, but it also poses great risks. From data centers, to students cheating in school, to job loss and existential risk, AI has created many more questions than answers. Mark York will discuss how the technology works, its risks, and what our communities should do to get the good without the bad. Bring your questions, and let’s work together to get a handle on this thorny issue. All are welcome.

Mark York is a farmer from Lake Wilson in southwest Minnesota, a computer scientist, and former White House Fellow. Mark is a proud SDSU grad, is the co-founder and president of FarmYield Africa, and is about to complete his Ph.D. in computer science from Harvard University.

This event will be held on Thursday, November 5, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion, 302 East Sarnia Street, in Winona. Goodwill donation suggested. It will be hosted by the Winona Area Southeast Minnesota Patriots.

EVENT: St. Cloud advances data center ordinance, public hearing scheduled for Nov. 16 (Stearns County)

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St Cloud Live reports…

 The St. Cloud City Council agreed without opposition to set a public hearing on a new ordinance that would place restrictions on new hyperscale data centers during its meeting on Monday night, Oct. 19.

The ordinance, if approved, would require all data centers to use the city’s water system and be at least 1,320 feet away from abutting road right-of-ways and residential-zoned properties as measured from property line to property line. Permits for data centers would require land use compatibility and traffic impact study, noise and vibration study, environmental impact study, and community impacts study.

Proposed data centers would also need to come with a decommissioning plan and confirmation that the project would include sustainable strategies in its design, water use and energy use.

The hearing, scheduled for Nov. 16, would give the public the chance to offer input on the policy before the city makes a final vote on whether to approve the ordinance.

EVENT Oct 23: Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting

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From the Technology Advisory Council (TAC)…

Date:   October 23, 2026

Time:   8:30 – 11 a.m. CT

Location:   In-Person Meeting – 600 North Robert St., St. Paul, MN 55146 – email tac.mnit@state.mn.us for information on how to join the meeting.

The meeting with be of particular interest in you work for or with the State but it’s generally interesting even if you don’t.

EVENT Oct 22: Minnesota PUC looks at Google’s data-center power deal in Pine Island (Goodhue County)

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MLQ.ai reports…

Google’s proposed AI data center in Pine Island, Minnesota, is approaching a consequential utility proceeding with its electricity contract still contested and key financial details withheld from the public. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to consider a motion on October 22, 2026, asking whether the case should receive contested-case treatment and whether Xcel Energy should remove or better justify confidential redactions. [3]

The commission is not scheduled to make a final decision on the electric-service agreement at that meeting. The agreement remains a proposal, even as Xcel and Google seek to advance the transmission and clean-energy projects that would support the facility.

Xcel filed the Electric Service Agreement on April 14, 2026, in PUC docket 26-170. The proposed contract would run for 15 years and use a Clean Energy Accelerator Charge to fund or recover costs associated with new clean-energy resources.

EVENT Oct 26: Hermantown’s City Council to discussion data center and permitting (St Louis County)

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Business North reports…

Hermantown’s City Council will hold a dedicated meeting on Monday, Oct. 26, to consider the Special Use Permit (SUP) and other associated agreements related to

the proposed Google data center project.

The SUP and Plat are set to be heard by Hermantown’s Planning and Zoning Commission at its Oct. 20 meeting. Following the Planning and Zoning Commission’s public hearing and subsequent recommendation, the SUP moves on to the city council for consideration.

To note: The Planning and Zoning Commissions serves as a recommending body to the city council on Special Use Permits. The SUP and Plat continue to city council regardless of the recommendation given by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Oct. 26 meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

EVENTS Oct 20 & 26: The Future of data centers in Blue Earth County

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KEYC reports…

Blue Earth County is hosting two open houses about the future of data centers in the community.

The county will be hosting open houses at the Mapleton Community Center on October 20th and the Lake Crystal City Hall on October 26, both from 4 p.m. to 6, and has put out an online survey.

The survey is seeking input on all facets of data centers from property value to energy consumption, and feedback can be given online or at the open houses.

The open houses come as a follow-up to the county’s moratorium on data centers that was passed in August, and the county says that feedback will be used to inform future discussion.

Data centers come up in City Council debates in Owatonna (Steele County)

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Owatonna People’s Press reports...

City Council candidates faced questions on some of the most pressing issues in the community at the final candidate forum.

Data centers got a lot of attention…

Drawing a hypothetical situation submitted by the audience, Rethemeier asked the candidates if they would support building a data center in Owatonna if it would bring in $5 million to the city annually.

Ward 1 candidate Brad Flemming said he would be “generally be in favor” of a data center if it presented a good deal for the city and didn’t impact residents’ utility bills. He acknowledged widespread “disdain” for data centers, and said he’d have a number of questions if one were proposed, including its size, location and potential strain it would cause for Owatonna Public Utilities.

Tim McManimon, also running for Ward 1, said the community should be cautious if a data center is proposed, noting such a project could have unintended consequences.

“What if that data center goes dark and we’re left with a stranded project and we increased infrastructure and now don’t have the income to support it?”

However, McManimon suggested he’d be more favorable to a smaller project, like a locally-owned server farm, rather than a large data center owned by a tech company.

Ward 1 candidates were generally opposed to data centers, although they offered a variety of rationales. Melissa Danielson responded with an “absolutely no,” arguing a data center would make Owatonna a less attractive place to live.

“People don’t want data centers in their backyard. People don’t want to live near a data center. People don’t want their home values dropped and not being able to sell their house because they’re next to a data center,” Danielson said.

Dale Fairbanks said $5 million paid to the city wouldn’t properly compensate the citizens of the community. Fairbanks said he would only support a data center if it were self-sustaining and located away from populated areas and farms, “nowhere near the town.”

Bruce Nelson said data centers place significant demands on electricity, water, land and infrastructure, and residents should not have to bear the costs.

“I support a moratorium on a new data center until an impact study is completed and concerns of residents are addressed,” Nelson said.

Rebecca Rand said she has questions about the long-term health impacts data centers have on people and the environment, as well as the utility costs. Rand said the city would have to seriously consider the financial benefit of welcoming a data center against the impact to the community, and based on the information available to her, she would not support one.