The Midway Monitor posts a column from James Birr of the Citizens Utility Board…

Data centers are top of mind for Minnesotans, and two proposed projects from Google continue to cause controversy: the Pine Island data center and the Hermantown data center. Just this month, Google has made its projected energy use public. Minnesotans finally have a sense of how much electricity these two projects will need to operate, and it’s a massive amount.
The Pine Island data center will require 780 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and the Hermantown data center will require 500 MW. To put that into perspective, a general rule of thumb is that 100 MW can power about 80,000 typical American homes. These data centers’ combined need for 1280 MW of electricity is roughly equal to the power use of more than 1 million households. That’s almost half the total number of households in Minnesota.

How these data centers will receive, generate, and pay for that electricity is determined by utility tariffs and electric service agreements (ESAs) between the company and the utility serving it. The Hermantown data center will be served by Minnesota Power, and the Pine Island data center will be served by Xcel Energy. These agreements are complicated, and have been used to withhold important information from the public. Even after signing non-disclosure agreements, CUB does not have full access to all the information we’d need to properly review Google’s ESA with Xcel.
Nevertheless, CUB’s team has reviewed the proposed electric service agreements and we’ve concluded that what’s been proposed would fail to comply with Minnesota law and fall short of covering the data centers’ costs. CUB has filed this analysis with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, along with our recommendations of how Google’s utility contracts must change so that ratepayers aren’t left covering its costs.
This article covers the latest regulatory updates regarding Google’s proposed data center projects in Hermantown and Pine Island. To get a full picture of how data centers could impact Minnesota ratepayers, visit CUB’s Data Center page below.

KTTC reports on data centers, starting with concise description of different types of data centers…

Cloud Data Centers are the facilities your personal data touches the most often. These data centers are very large facilities commonly run by cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft (Asure), IBM Cloud, or other public cloud providers. They support massive databases, workloads, and global scalability that social media networks and platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Netflix rely on.

Enterprise Data Centers are private facilities that companies and corporations either own or rent to handle their own sensitive data or host in-house services. These can be small or large facilities or rent out portions of larger data center facilities.

Colocation Data Centers are what we call facilities that share space with multiple companies. “Colo” data centers handle the infrastructure (the building, cooling, bandwidth, security, etc.) so companies can use the equipment as they need or store their specific equipment.

Hyperscalers are the massive facilities that AI companies primarily use because they are designed specifically to allow for the processing and handling of massive amounts of data and compute. These facilities are the ones that tend to house hundreds of thousands of GPUs that allow services like Chat GPT and Claude to function at the scale they do.

Edge Data Centers are the smallest form of data center and are typically found on location of local users or in a smaller, decentralized facility nearby. There are many cases when companies don’t need a whole data center and instead just need a few servers to handle their data; this is where Edge centers come into play.

The article outlines electricity use…

It’s estimated that the “global datasphere” in 2025 (data created, captured or replicated across global infrastructure) was around 175 zettabytes of data. That’s 175,000,000,000,000 gigabytes that all requires electricity to process.

According to a 2021 study, it’s estimated that U.S. data centers consumed about 1.8% of U.S. electricity. It’s worth noting this study uses data from 2018-2020, so just before the AI boom.

U.S. data centers consumed about 176 TWh of electricity in 2023 (4.4% of U.S. electricity), driven largely by AI workloads and accelerated data-center expansion, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Including electricity impact on water use…

It’s estimated that about 75% of water impacts occur through electricity generation involved with data centers while the remaining 25% is actually used onsite.

MPR reports…

Following two hours of nonstop chanting and protests, the Hermantown City Council on Monday night postponed a series of votes on whether to give final local approval to a controversial proposed Google data center just outside Duluth.

It’s the latest indication of just how contentious proposed data centers have become in Minnesota and across the nation in advance of the midterm election, as tech giants rush to build the giant computer server farms that are needed to power artificial intelligence.

The drama began just before the council meeting was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Hundreds of people had crammed into Hermantown’s city hall to attend the special meeting. Most couldn’t squeeze into the small council chambers and instead were routed to a large overflow room.

Dozens of people lined up to sign up to speak. But many were still in line when the sign-up ended before the meeting was scheduled to begin.

Nearly 100 people began chanting “Let us speak!” outside the council chambers. After a half-hour of nonstop chanting, protesters began shouting “Shut it down!”

Eventually the meeting was postponed…

After two hours, city leaders announced the meeting would be postponed until Tuesday, and they said people had 10 minutes to disperse or they would be arrested. Protesters erupted in cheers.

Postponed for a day…

Hermantown assistant city administrator Joe Wicklund said city officials decided to postpone the meeting because they couldn’t guarantee a safe event.

Northern News Now reports on the upcoming meeting…

 The council meeting originally scheduled for 6:30pm Monday was called and immediately adjourned and rescheduled for 7:30pm Tuesday, according to our crew on scene.

We will continue to provide updates right here and on our Facebook page.

KSTP TV reports…

5 INVESTIGATES created an interactive map showing operational, decommissioned and proposed data centers in Minnesota.

Most of the facilities are either enterprise data centers or colocation facilities.

Enterprise data centers are operated and maintained solely by one company and most often sit within the footprint of a corporate or global campus. Colocation centers are owned by third-party companies that rent space to private businesses for servers and computing equipment.

Both enterprise and colocation centers have been in Minnesota for more than a decade and many are receiving sales tax exemptions from the state.

KAXE shares a story from NPR as a journalist checks out a data center being built near Milwaukee…

Back here in Wisconsin, I’ve been driving through the state this week. And just north of Milwaukee, you quickly enter farm country – cornfields, rolling hills, barns and grain silos. Then suddenly, next to a highway, you get a visual shock.

And – oh, Henry, is this the data center on the left?

HENRY LARSON, BYLINE: It’s huge.

PFEIFFER: There’s something massive under construction over there.

It’s a hyper-scale data center in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I went there with NPR producer Henry Larson, and we could barely find words for how colossal this project is.

St Cloud Times reports…

Mississippi River mayors recently came together to help river communities evaluate data center proposals, as the facilities continue to rapidly expand across the basin.

There are already more than 3,000 active data centers throughout the United States, including in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee. As the need for artificial intelligence and data storage grows, more cities and counties are being approached by companies interested in building data centers in their communities. About three-quarters of the data centers currently planned are in the South or Midwest, according to a report from the Pew Research Center.

“We are now dealing with data centers and what that looks like,” said Melisa Logan, mayor of Blytheville, Arkansas, at a press conference on Oct. 21 in Natchez, Mississippi. “Construction of data centers in the United States has now reached a record $4.4 billion per month.”

Logan is also co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, a group of more than 100 river communities that span from Minnesota down to Louisiana. So far, more than 75% of MRCTI member cities have already been approached to host some form of AI infrastructure, Logan said. Many have asked the organization for guidance on how to protect community resources, such as water and utility service.

MN Star Tribune reports..

Graco has signed a licensing deal with a Swiss company to use its special motors to help cool data centers.

The Minneapolis-based manufacturer announced Wednesday that it signed a deal with ABB, an international electrification and automation company, to supply devices called transverse flux motors (TFM) from a company Graco acquired in 2018.

Graco and Zurich-based ABB have partnered on other industrial applications. This deal will give Graco additional exposure into one of the fastest-growing industrial applications in the rapid build out of datacenters.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Graco is not the only Twin Cities company chasing the data center business. NVent has expanded its local factories because of its contracts, and 3M, Ecolab and Forgent Power also have large data-center businesses.

This is the third segment in my data center collection of public commentaries, including letters to the editors and opinion pieces.

It’s meant as a quick scan of what topics are rising to the top for others. I try to be balanced, but this is more illustrative of what crosses my path in the course of a month.

Ramstad: Readers wonder if an AI chatbot took my job as a columnist
Sep 24, 2026, Minnesota Star Tribune
Ramstad’s views on AI regulation and a new demographic study produced a lot of reader reaction.

Minnesota forum tackles growing anxiety over AI
Sep 24, St Cloud Times
A recent Minnesota forum highlighted public anxiety and policy questions surrounding artificial intelligence.

Jepson talks funding pressures, wakeboats and data centers at candidate forum
Sep 24, 2026, DL-Online
“We’d have to think long and hard about what that data center would bring to Becker County,” Jepson said.

Data centers: Can Democrats regulate and still build?
Sep 25, 2026 MinnPost
It’s not a choice between being pro-environment or pro-growth. With the right safeguards in place, data centers can be both.

Letter: Data center puts profits over human well-being – Post Bulletin
Sep 26, 2026 Post Bulletin
“Supporting building a hyperscale Google data center this close to homes means putting economic interests ahead of the health, safety, and quality of life of the residents.”

One Moment, Please… The Data Center Bait
Sep 28, 2026, Fillmore County Journal
“When we look at the demand for data centers, we need to look in the mirror.”

Candidate’s View: Hermantown data-center proposal a Duluth problem, too
Sep 28, 2026, Duluth News Tribune
From the column: “Even with tech giants scaling back plans and pledging mitigations, the sheer footprint of this industrial campus will alter your local landscape forever.”

Opinion | Small towns can’t wait. We need Walz’s help now.
Oct 2, 2026 MN Star Tribune
“We’re calling on the governor to enact a moratorium on data centers until we have time to build stronger, more centralized state oversight.”

Letter to the Editor: Contributing thoughts on data centers
Oct 3, 2026, Bemidji Pioneer
“The key point for Bemidji to consider would be the power generation package any data center would bring to the table. The right package would add to the local network’s capacity and resiliency, without increasing rates.”

Pro/Con: Let’s not make the cure of AI regulation worse than the disease
Oct 2, 2026, Duluth News Tribune
From the column: “Regulation (sometimes) serves nobody. AI regulation is a minefield that could lead to unintended consequences.”

Letters to the editor: Thankful for freeze on data centers
Oct 5, 2026 Moose Lake Star Tribune
“We want to thank the Carlton County Commissioners for voting in favor of Ordinance no. 42, the Carlton County Data Center Interim Use Study.”

Kathryn Hoffman: MCEA lawsuit seeks full picture on data center
Oct 6, 2026, Post Bulletin
Google didn’t respect our state’s democratic laws and processes. Instead, it published an environmental study that didn’t disclose even basic facts about their proposed project.

Counterpoint: Transparency matters in data center development
Oct 6, 2026, MinnPost
A recent MinnPost Voices piece suggested a proposed Minnesota project met that standard. It did not.

Data Centers Need Minnesotans. NDAs Won’t Win Their Trust.
Oct 6, 2026 Minnesota Times
Developers have legitimate business interests to protect. Minnesotans deserve a meaningful say in projects that could reshape their communities.

Kathryn Hoffman: MCEA lawsuit seeks full picture on data center
Oct 6, 2026 Post Bulletin
Google didn’t respect our state’s democratic laws and processes. Instead, it published an environmental study that didn’t disclose even basic facts about their proposed project.

Despite the controversy, data centers could be attractive to struggling rural towns
Oct 9, 2026, KAXE
All right, if there is one thing liberal Democrats, MAGA Republicans and most Americans in between might agree on, it’s data centers.

Reader’s View: Duluth already home to data centers
Oct 11, 2026, Duluth News Tribune
“Those upset about data centers might check it out.”

Letter: Full disclosure needed on data center proposals
Oct 13, 2026, Post Bulletin
“These tactics appear designed to deliberately bypass community input and shield corporate interests from public scrutiny.”

Brown: What are Minnesota’s human designers to do in this wave of AI slop?
Oct 15, 2026, MN Star Tribune
AI posters and advertisements are everywhere, with a distinctive look that’s hard to describe. So, I talked to some professionals.

Letter: Voters should weigh potential costs of Monticello’s proposed data center
Oct 15, 2026, Monticello Times
Monticello’s proposed data center has become a focal point in this year’s local election. Data centers are also focal points in elections across the country.

Perry: Will the AI backlash leave low-income students behind?
Oct 16, 2026, MN Star Tribune
Wealthier schools are at the forefront of focusing on a more human-centered education that in some cases is cutting out AI altogether.

Letter: Voters should weigh potential costs of Monticello’s proposed data center
Oct 15, 2026, Monticello Times
Monticello’s proposed data center has become a focal point in this year’s local election. Data centers are also focal points in elections across the country.

Data Center Rug Pull & Council Subpoena Power: A Message from Council Member Shaffer
Oct 17, 2026, Minneapolis Times
“That optimism evaporated at the Planning Commission on Tuesday evening.”

Some Projects Are Laying The groundwork for Data Centers
Oct 20, 2026 Stevens County Times
“Where does David and Goliath draw the line?”

Native News Online Survey: Readers Oppose Data Centers Near Tribal Communities, Demand Tribal Say
Oct 22, 2026, Native News Online
Survey finds environmental concerns and tribal sovereignty are central to readers’ views on data centers and artificial intelligence

Owatonna’s People’s Press reports…

Justin Ohnstad and Gary Spatenka are vying for the Steele County Commissioner District 1 seat, which is soon to be vacated by James Brady. Ahead of the election, both discussed their perspectives on public safety facilities in Owatonna, data centers and their primary focus if elected.

Here’s what Justin Ohnstad had to say…

As data centers are a major topic of interest in neighboring communities, Ohnstad was asked what his approach would be to the possibility of their construction in the future.

“To my knowledge we’re not being approached for that at this time. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked: location, utility consumption, rate increases and things of that nature,” he said. “How will it impact if it can be a positive impact on the residents of Steele County? It’s definitely worth exploring. Which is not a yes answer. However, let’s ask the questions and figure out what benefits it might bring to the county.”

Ohnstad also discussed the benefits and potential for overreach inherent in the use of Flock cameras.

“I don’t have a ton of research on them. However, my personal belief is I don’t need a camera to take a picture of my license plate three times a day when I come in and out of town,” he said. “That being said, if something were to happen to a community member like an abduction, (Flock cameras) would be an asset for law enforcement and potentially expedite the recovery which could be invaluable. I think government serves a role and it certainly has to have an involvement in people’s daily function, but they are tiptoeing on the line with being too much Big Brother for me.”

Here’s what Gary Spatenka had to say…

His opinion on data centers is contingent on future conversations with the community.

“The big thing right now we have going on in the county is going to be these data centers and that hasn’t really come up yet,” Spatenka said. “I think that we have to sit down as a county and have open meetings to discuss these data centers because we don’t really know a lot about them yet.”