Tag Archives: Data Centers

New MN Bill introduced: relating to preapplication evaluations of water appropriations for certain data centers HF4153

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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 the MN House:

Mekeland, Swedzinski and Davis introduced:

HF. No. 4153, A bill for an act relating to data centers; modifying the criteria for preapplication evaluations of water appropriations for certain data centers; exempting certain data centers’ electricity sales in calculating a utility’s solar energy standard; exempting certain data centers from paying a fee; exempting certain data centers from paying sales tax on electricity purchases; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 103G.265, subdivision 5; 216B.02, subdivision 12; 216B.1623; 216B.1691, subdivision 2f; 216B.72; 297A.68, subdivision 42.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Energy Finance and Policy.

Video: What Rural Communities Need to Know about Data Centers

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From The Rural Assembly…

“What Rural Communities Need to Know About Data Centers” is now available for replay on Rural Assembly’s Youtube channel.

Tune in to the replay to learn more about⁠ many facets of the data center issue, including:

• what data centers are and why companies are interested in building them in rural communities; ⁠

• the political landscape;⁠

• what’s disputed; ⁠

• and what communities can do. ⁠ ⁠

Thank you to Annie Contractor, who led the session, and to our partners at Radically Rural, and to the more than 250 of you who showed up to the webinar last week to learn together, ask questions, and share your own experiences. ⁠

 

New MN Bill introduced: Prohibiting municipalities from entering into​ nondisclosure agreements HF4077

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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 the MN House:

Elections Finance and Government Operations

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 and Flexential partner up for data centers in MN and TX

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Light Reading reports…

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.

New MN Bill introduced: Certain users of large amounts of groundwater required to apply for their own water-use permit (HF3793)

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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:

The MN House reports…

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.

New MN Bill introduced: Data centers excluded from gross annual retail energy sales for energy conservation and optimization purposes (HF3296)

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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:

The MN House reports…

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.

Data center opponents ask MN Legislature to consider statewide moratorium, new regulations

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MPR reports…

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.

New MN Bill introduced: A bill related to energy and data centers

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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.

Opinion Piece in Star Tribune: Slow down the rapid growth of data centers

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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.

EVENT Feb 24: Watt’s Up with Data Centers? Part 3: Community Strategies for Responding to Data Center Development

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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.

  REGISTER NOW!  

Why Microsoft’s “Community-First” AI Data Center Promise Isn’t the Full Story

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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?

Fiber supply threatens US broadband targets

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Light Reading reports…

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.

“Pretty Sweet Tech: Data Center 101 for Librarians”

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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.

Data Center Forum Follow Up: notes from the South-Central Minnesota Data Center Forum on November 12

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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.

How do Data Centers Impact Dakota County? a Forum held in Farmington MN on August 20, 2025

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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….