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Activists at the Minnesota State Capitol Are Calling for a Moratorium on Any New Data Centers in the State
Advocates and lawmakers seek a pause on new data centers due to environmental impacts and transparency issues, with 13 to 23 projects proposed statewide, according to local groups.
- Sen. Jennifer McEwen, DFL-Duluth, said Wednesday she will introduce legislation to pause data center construction at the rally in the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul.
- With roughly two dozen proposals statewide, advocates flagged large water use and electricity demand as primary concerns, while the Department of Energy 2024 report highlights environmental risks.
- Meanwhile, the Pine Island project illustrates the scale with a planned 482-acre site and 3 million-square-foot facility, while residents say rezoning affected 17 parcels and a lawsuit is ongoing.
- Policy shifts this session address tax incentives and confidentiality practices, as the 2025 legislative session repealed an electricity tax exemption and Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, plans to ban NDAs for data centers.
- Proponents emphasize jobs and tax revenue, while infrastructure costs loom, as developers halt projects in Becker, North Mankato and Hampton citing permitting hurdles amid nationwide AI-driven data center demand.
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Activists at the Minnesota state capitol are calling for a moratorium on any new data centers in the state
Activists at the Minnesota state capitol are calling for a moratorium on new data centers in the state. They say excessive water usage and high energy consumption top the list of their biggest concerns, while proponents tout the jobs and tax revenue.
·Philadelphia, United States
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Post Bulletin+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Residents, environmental advocates push for a hyper-scale data center moratorium
ST. PAUL — Environmental advocates and residents who live near proposed data centers called for a moratorium on new hyper-scale data centers and other restrictions at a rally Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Capitol. The call for a pause in construction across the state comes as several projects — including in Becker, North Mankato and Hampton — have halted as developers cite strenuous permitting processes in Minnesota and other states making it easie…
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left0Leaning Right7Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Right
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources lean Right
58% Right
C 42%
R 58%
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