I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:
Co-Chair: Rep. Mike Freiberg holds the gavel
Co-Chair: Rep. Duane Quam
Location: Capitol G23
Agenda:
HF4077 (Greenman) – Prohibiting municipalities from entering into nondisclosure agreements.
More info…
HF4077(Greenman)
Municipalities prohibited from entering into nondisclosure agreements.
Fidium will extend its reach within Flexential’s data centers in Dallas and Plano, Texas, and Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota. The agreement builds on Fidium’s expanding national data center footprint.
Fidium, a leading provider of high-capacity fiber network solutions, today announced an expanded relationship with Flexential, a premier provider of data center colocation and hybrid IT solutions. Through the Flexential Marketplace, part of the recently launched FlexAnywhere® platform, Fidium will extend its reach and visibility within Flexential’s data centers in Dallas and Plano, Texas and Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota, enabling enterprises, carriers, and hyperscalers to scale connectivity faster than ever before.
I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:
HF3793 (Pursell) Certain users of large amounts of groundwater required to apply for their own water-use permit instead of modifying an existing municipal permit.
The House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee will hear more March 10 (2026) at 1pm. Online viewing available: Channel: HTV1.
I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:
That’s why he came to St. Paul to testify in favor of HF3296, a bill sponsored by Rep. Dawn Gillman (R-Dassel) that would allow utility sales of electricity to certain data centers to be excluded from the state’s definition of “gross annual retail energy sales,” and, thus, not required to meet the ECO plan’s annual energy savings goal of 1.5% for a cooperative or municipal utility.
On Thursday, the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee approved a delete-all amendment and laid the bill over for possible omnibus bill inclusion.
Opponents of so-called hyperscale data centers are calling on Minnesota lawmakers to adopt stronger regulations this session, including a two-year pause in new construction.
They say requirements for data centers that the Legislature passed last year aren’t enough to protect communities, residents and the environment from the potential negative impacts of the mega-sized facilities.
“We have no regulatory framework in place to protect our communities and the environment from the detrimental impacts of these facilities,” Eleanor Dolan of Duluth said at a rally Wednesday at the state Capitol.
Data centers are large warehouses that store computer servers and power artificial intelligence. The largest ones cover over a million square feet — the equivalent of dozens of football fields.
Data center developers promise they’ll bring jobs, economic growth and tax revenue. But opponents have voiced concerns about the vast amount of energy and water they consume, plus potential air, noise and light pollution.
Only one hyperscale data center — a Meta facility in Rosemount — is currently under construction in Minnesota. But there are at least a dozen proposed in the state.
Several are in the south Twin Cities metro. But others are in small cities, such as Hermantown, Pine Island and Cannon Falls.
I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:
From MN Senate…
Senators McEwen, Johnson Stewart, and Maye Quade introduced–S.F. No. 3968: A bill for an act relating to energy; requiring preapplication filings for large water appropriation projects; adding information to permit applications for large water appropriation projects; specifying the level of environmental review for data centers; removing data centers’ energy consumption from the calculation of a utility’s energy savings goal; exempting data centers from making financial contributions to an energy conservation and optimization plan; depositing fee revenues in an account to be used for energy conservation; modifying the definition of large energy facility; establishing energy requirements for data centers; imposing a fee on data centers; requiring the Public Utilities Commission to establish a new tariff for data centers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 103G.265, by adding a subdivision; 103G.271, by adding a subdivision; 116D.04, by adding a subdivision; 216B.2402, subdivision 10; 216B.241, subdivisions 1a, 2a; 216B.2421, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 216B.Referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate.
Last year, I noticed a number of local discussion and event seminars on data centers looking to set up iin various Minnestoa towns. With the legislature in session, I suspect we’ll see a few more opinions shared in the near future. The following is an Opinion piece written to the Minnesota Star Tribune…
Put simply, data center proposals are moving faster than policy in Minnesota. The speed of AI investments in data centers is outstripping the ability of the state and communities to protect themselves from their rapacious demands. We need a pause. We are calling on the Legislature to pass a two-year moratorium on data centers so that policymakers can catch up with this fast-moving industry. In those two years, the state should develop recommendations on policies to protect our natural resources and communities. They should look at the potential cumulative impacts of multiple proposed data centers, and they should develop a statewide strategy on where and how we will allow this industry to develop in our state.
Our organizations are tracking at least 21 potential data center proposals. Minnesotans from around the state are calling our organizations daily, concerned about known or suspected data center proposals in their communities. We say “suspected” because, in many cases, it is quite hard to know what is actually being proposed. These projects are moving forward under a cloak of secrecy, often described in vague terms such as “technology park” or “light industrial development.” Even when city officials state that it is a data center, it’s often hard to get details beyond that basic fact.
The letter was submitted by the following…
Organizations that are signatories to this article include the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, CURE, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Mississippi River, Stop the Hermantown Data Center, the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development, Vote Solar, WaterLegacy and Clean Water Action.
An upcoming session from University of Illinois Extension…
Watt’s Up with Data Centers? Part 3: Community Strategies for Responding to Data Center Development
Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 12:00 noon CT
Has your community been approached by a data center? This webinar in the Resilient Communities series will equip communities with practical strategies to navigate data center proposals, understand their environmental impacts, and know what questions to ask from the start. Participants will learn from a local community’s Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) to see how CBAs can align projects with community goals. We’ll finish with a look forward on how state policy can support responsible data center development, including greater transparency on power needs and water use and support for carbon-free electricity.
Speakers
James Gignac is Midwest Policy Director for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Prior to joining UCS, Mr. Gignac served as environmental and energy counsel and as assistant attorney general to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, where he worked on a variety of regulatory, legislative, and litigation matters involving clean energy, climate change, and environmental protection. Before his time in state government, Mr. Gignac was Midwest director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, and also represented private sector clients in environmental matters with the law firm Mayer Brown LLP.
Lucy Contreras is the Illinois State Program Director for GreenLatinos and leads the Environmental Justice Caucus of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, where she is helping advance legislation to regulate data centers in Illinois. In these roles, she works closely with frontline communities to build understanding around environmental issues and to ensure community priorities are centered and reflected in policy solutions.
Moises Moreno is the Organizing Director with Alliance of Southeast (ASE) and co-staffs the South Works CBA and Policy campaign. Moises has been with ASE for over a year and brings over 20 years of community-organizing experience and policy advocacy in Chicago. He currently lives on the Southeast side as a Hyde Park resident.
This session will include a 15-minute Q&A segment, giving you an opportunity to ask questions about these topics. Please note that this Resilient Communities program will be offered in the Zoom Webinar format, instead of the Zoom Meeting format.
Part of the Local Government Education programming series, Resilient Communities webinars are a result of University of Illinois Extension and Prairie Rivers Network‘s collaboration to build capacity for technical assistance and education aimed to help communities navigate energy- and environment-related funding opportunities, provide guidance on community inclusion, and lead community-specific strategic planning. This outreach should help communities secure and manage resources to address legacy pollution, invest in clean energy technologies, and more. For more information, contact: Linda Derhak, National Resources Energy and Environment, Illinois Extension, at lderhak2@illinois.edu.
AI data centers have been a big topic for many rural communities in Minnesota, such as Farmington, Hermantown, North Mankato and more. I was interested when I came across a podcast on AI data center in black neighborhoods from The Miseducation of Technology. The issues sound similar to those I’ve heard in rural Minnesota. The recommendations are also similar. But sometimes it’s easier to see the issues and recommendations more clearly when we’re not talking about our park or our water bills.
Here’s a description from and link to the podcast itself…
In this episode of The Miseducation of Technology, Attorney Danielle A. Davis breaks down what’s really behind Microsoft’s new “community-first” promise on AI data centers—and why that announcement didn’t come out of nowhere.
The conversation starts where most tech policy discussions don’t: with culture.
In 2025, R&B singer SZA publicly questioned the environmental cost of AI—calling out energy use, pollution, and why Black cities like Memphis keep ending up on the receiving end. What sounded like a celebrity tweet was actually a warning rooted in lived experience.
Because while AI is often sold as “cloud-based” and abstract, for many Black communities it is physical, loud, and permanent—arriving in the form of massive data centers that consume enormous amounts of power and water, strain local grids, and reshape land use with little community input.
So why did Microsoft suddenly promise to:
• Cover electricity costs
• Reduce and replenish water use
• Stop asking for tax breaks
• Invest in local training and education
And more importantly—what does that actually solve… and what does it leave untouched?
Warnings about a US fiber crunch that could slow down broadband deployment have intensified since the summer. In August, Incab America, a Texan maker of fiber-optic cable, notified customers that “a significant fiber shortage is emerging” in a statement signed by Mike Riddle, its president, who blamed data centers for “sucking up all the fiber production capacity.” The situation reminded him of 2000, when lead times lengthened to a year. They have now risen to the same level, said a separate industry source who requested anonymity.
That compares with normal lead times of between eight and 12 weeks, according to the same source. Even when there is some tightness in the supply chain, they never usually exceed 15 to 20 weeks, he said. But a wave of investment in data centers, built to train AI’s large language models (LLMs), has quickly gobbled supplies of glass and other materials used in fiber-optic cables. “The three leading glass manufacturers in the United States are experiencing challenges in meeting this heightened demand,” observed Riddle in August. “Notably, one manufacturer has already sold all of its fiber inventory through the year 2026.”
Policies may also have an impact…
Yet surging demand from AI data centers is not the only problem. Sourcing components from overseas has also become harder because of the tariff restrictions Trump has slapped on imports of foreign goods. There is some industry frustration, too, about the need to comply with the rules of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act signed into law by Joe Biden, Trump’s White House predecessor, in November 2021.
Under BABA’s provisions, initiatives are ineligible for government financial aid “unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.” That has ramifications for companies participating in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which draws on government funds to extend network coverage into hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
I learned about this on an online forum, but I found it interesting. Here’s a description from the YouTube description…
Recorded on September 24, 2025. NCompass Live – https://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/ Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related ‘Pretty Sweet Tech’. Data centers are cropping up in the headlines alongside AI, but how many people really know how data centers work? This session will help your library field questions about data centers, especially if there are plans to build a data center in or near your community. Here’s what we’ll cover: What is a data center? Job creation & training Impact on infrastructure & environment Trends & Innovations Common Questions I’ll put everything in a handy slide deck with helpful talking points and links so your library is prepared to share good information and ask the right questions if a data center is coming to town.
I attended the South-Central Minnesota Data Center Forum earlier this month (and posted notes). Today, with permission, I’m happy to share the official notes from hosts Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Region 9 and SE MN Together.
Thank you for attending the South-Central Minnesota Data Center Forum on Wednesday, November 12th. With over 100 attendees and 6 expert speakers, the event highlighted the desire for education and conversation on this emerging issue. As a follow-up, we have a recorded version of the forum, the slides from our speakers, and their contact information. Feel free to share these resources with people in your network! Additionally, the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and SE MN Together are hosting two additional Data Center Basics 101 events in Spring Grove (Dec.18) and Austin (Jan 14.). Registration for those events is listed below.
Recording:
Panel 1 Speakers
Thom Jackson, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Dunham Associates thomas.jackson@dunhameng.com
Carrie Jennings, Research and Policy Director, Freshwater cjennings@freshwater.org
Tim Stoner, General Manager, Blue Earth Light and Water tim.stoner@belw.org
Panel 2 Speakers
Thomas Lambrecht, Economic Development Services Manager, Great River Energy tlambrecht@grenergy.com
Sarah Mooradian, Government Relations & Policy Director, CUREMN sarah@curemn.org
Andy Wilke, Executive Vice President, Greater Mankato Growth awilke@greatermankato.com
Upcoming Data Center Basics 101 Events
Data Center Basics 101 – Spring Grove Thursday, December 18
Data Center Basics 101 – Austin Wednesday, January 14
If you have any key takeaways, questions, or feedback from the event that you’d like to share with the event organizers, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’m slow posting this video. Sometimes you need a 7-hour drive to Chicago to catch up on videos. But the topic still seems timely. It’s from a session on Data Center Forum: Impacts in Dakota County hosted by MN Women’s Press & CRDCD on Aug 20, 2025 in Farmington MN
Here’s their description from YouTube:
How do Data Centers Impact Dakota County? This was a Forum held in Farmington MN on August 20, 2025, co-sponsored by MN Women’s Press and the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development. Eight panelists were invited to share their knowledge and answer questions. This was a very engaging community discussion that should enlighten any listener interested in learning more about various aspects of the growth of data centers in Minnesota and nationwide.
Thank You to the Panelists! (from left to right)
- Senator Bill Lieske – District 58
- Representative Drew Roach – District 58B
- Patricia Torres Ray – Director of Interfaith Power and Light and Former Senator
- Sarah Mooradian – CURE
- Mo Feshami – Member of Coalition
- Cathy Johnson – Member of Coalition
- Peter Wagenius – Sierrra Club, North Star Chapter
- Mikki Morrissette – Editor and producer of MN Women’s Press
Also thank you to Jim Elli, Vanguard Media MN Women’s Press: https://www.womenspress.com/ Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development: https://www.datacenterresponsibility….
Last month, the Hermantown City Council voted yes on a zoning change that open a door for a super data center to be built in the area. The very next day, the community, specifically a group called Stop the Hermantown Data Center, filed a petition with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) that would delay progress. Clearly there are two different views on what a data center could mean to the community of Hermantown.
Last week, the developers “hit a pause button” with plans to hold an open house to address community concerns. “Hermantown’s Wicklund said if the city determines that additional environmental study is not required, the planning and zoning commission could take up the permits at its next meeting on Nov. 18.” That meeting has been cancelled and apparently the topic is no longer on the City Council’s agenda for its Dec. 1 meeting.
Data centers have been a controversial topic in a few other towns in Minnesota too, such as Farmington. Why is it controversial? There are pros and cons. For sake of brevity, I’ll just pull out two perspectives. (You can find many more, for both sides in the articles below.)
Proponents say:
Opponents Say:
It seems that two other sticking points are that the potential owner of the data center has not been revealed. Also, the community seemed unaware of negotiations happening between the City Council and outside developer.
This is a story in its earlier chapters; I thought a timeline might help.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports…
A company has halted two large-scale data center projects in Minnesota, saying the state would take too long to permit backup generators.
Excelsior-based Oppidan has paused work on data centers in North Mankato and the small city of Hampton in Dakota County. While the company is moving ahead with a data center in Apple Valley, the announcement signals that concerns over Minnesota’s regulatory climate will slow an industry that had been poised for explosive growth in Minnesota.
In May, Amazon abandoned plans for a multibillion-dollar data center in Becker after Minnesota utility regulators ruled the company must get a major state permit for power infrastructure to install 250 diesel generators. Amazon cited uncertain development timelines for permitting and other issues for halting the project.
There are varying views on the impacts of data centers in Minnesota…
The influx of data centers has sparked debate over whether the facilities will help or hurt Minnesota’s ambitions for a carbon-free electric grid. Some data center projects have drawn local controversy for their proximity to houses, potential water use and secrecy. Backers of data centers say they bring construction jobs, tax revenue and, potentially, lower electric bills for everyone.
The Minnesota Legislature approved a package of ground rules for the burgeoning industry. The laws impose new rules on energy and water consumption and other measures meant to shield utility customers from paying for the costs of supplying power to data centers.
Lawmakers also extended lucrative sales tax exemptions, for computers, servers, software, cooling and energy equipment that were set to expire in 2042. But the Legislature eliminated a smaller subsidy, a tax break on buying electricity.
Those views were represented at a recent public meeting on data centers hosted by the Southern MN Initiative Foundation in North Mankato last week. As were views from various community members…
Data center developers are facing other obstacles in Minnesota. The nonprofit Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has sued several cities considering data centers, saying they hid information about the projects and approved faulty environmental review. North Mankato officials have also said lack of available water for a data center could be a hurdle for projects in their city.
