What was said about data centers in Minnesota
38 statements from 32 speakers, grouped by who spoke. Each appears as said, with the date and the source. No verdict is attached.
From February 25, 2026 to October 3, 2026. Statements from every state are on Statements.
Government 17
Officials in office, lawmakers, regulators, public agencies and courts, federal, state, tribal and local. Every state.
-
Minnesota Attorney General
Ellison contends that if Google terminates its 15 year contract early, other utility customers would face greater risk of cost burden.
-
Minnesota Attorney General
Attorney General Keith Ellison filed comments with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday (September 2026, exact date unclear) arguing that Google's agreement with Xcel Energy does not protect other ratepayers from cost shifts.
-
Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General
Attorney General's office said Xcel claims Google deal will provide more than 1.1 billion dollars in savings for other ratepayers
-
Scott Wopata, Community Development Director
Northfield has no data center application before it and no developer has approached the city seeking to build one.
-
Minnesota state senator
Sen. Erin Maye Quade said the federal Ratepayer Protection Act is a great first start but does not account for heat islands, water, noise or light pollution
-
Jenny Mongeau, incumbent Clay County Commissioner, has worked on various mental health initiatives in her 12 years on the board
-
Clay County Commissioner
Jenny Mongeau said she is opposed to large scale projects like data centers circumventing local entities like townships and counties
-
Otter Tail County Commissioner District 2
Wayne Johnson states county could put a moratorium in place on data centers being built in the county.
-
City attorney Jason Kuboushek estimates legal risk to city at minimum $20 million, potentially $150 million
-
Jason Kuboushek
City attorney cited legal risk of 20 million dollars in damages if the city lost a lawsuit over the moratorium
-
Tony Scales, Council Member, votes for exemption after supporting initial moratorium
-
Minnesota DNR Deputy Director
DNR Deputy Director Randall Doneen raised concerns about the environmental review for the proposed Hermantown data center, including gaps in groundwater data and lack of alternative site analysis
-
U.S. Senator
Amy Klobuchar stated she would require any data center project to cover 100 percent of energy and grid costs.
-
Minnesota House Speaker
Lisa Demuth, House Speaker, negotiated bipartisan legislation that passed protecting Minnesotans' energy bills and putting data centers on the same playing field as other businesses for energy costs.
-
St. Cloud Planning Director
Matt Glaesman, Planning Director, stated St. Cloud currently has no large scale data centers and no current proposals
-
Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Mayor
Data centers should be regulated and not serve as sole use of a property
-
First District Congressman
Brad Finstad says data center projects should be a community decision, not handed down by Washington.
Chief executives 2
Chief executives, presidents, founders and chairs of companies, in technology, data centers, power and elsewhere. Every state.
-
Lexi Clendenen, MTNO Board Chair
Marshall Terrace Neighborhood Organization and other groups are drafting a resolution against data centers
-
Josh Skelton, Minnesota Power CEO, said the modernization provides flexibility when extreme weather hits, system conditions change quickly, or energy is needed in a different place than expected.
Utilities and grid operators 2
Electric utilities, cooperatives and the operators of the power grid, and the people who speak for them. Every state.
-
Megan Boldt, Xcel Energy spokesperson
Xcel Energy stated that Google has agreed to fund 1,900 megawatts of new clean energy resources including wind, solar and battery storage at no cost to existing customers.
-
Jack Ailey, vice president of data centers for Xcel Energy
Google will pay for the resources it uses so utility customers will be insulated from rate impacts
Candidates and campaigns 7
People running for office, their campaigns and their parties. A candidate who does not hold the office is not an official. Every state.
-
Scott Jensen, Republican candidate for Minnesota State Auditor, warned that Google data center in Hermantown will alter Duluth's landscape and regional ecosystem through water demand, grid challenges, and St. Louis River runoff impacts
-
Moorhead School Board member and District 4 candidate
Scott Steffes said he would need to do more research on data centers before deciding on a commitment to keep them out of Clay County
-
Sabin Vice Mayor and District 3 candidate
Tom Berglind said his support for data centers would depend on the resources needed for the data center and its environmental impact
-
Andrea Zupancich, Republican candidate for Minnesota state Senate
Grant Hauschild as part of Senate Tax Committee greenlit bills giving tax breaks to data centers
-
Republican candidate for Minnesota state Senate
Jobs for Minnesotans nonprofit board member Andrea Zupancich opposes tax breaks for data centers while running for state Senate against Grant Hauschild who supports them
-
Jake Johnson, DFL Minnesota First Congressional District candidate, demands a moratorium on data center construction.
-
DFL Minnesota First Congressional District candidate
Johnson says data centers should meet four requirements: keeping bills down, protecting farmland and natural resources, ensuring economic gains in Southern Minnesota, and ending non disclosure agreements.
Advocates and residents 2
Advocacy and community groups on every side, residents, neighbors and people speaking at public meetings. Every state.
-
Jobs for Minnesotans executive
Jobs for Minnesotans supports local data center development and trusts Minnesota's strict policies protecting environment, water quality, and energy generation
-
The Hermantown data center faces opposition from residents opposed to its proposed $80 million property tax break and concerns about water, noise and power use.
Researchers and analysts 3
Universities, research institutes, think tanks, pollsters, economists and consultants. Every state.
-
Lindsay Mark Lewis, CEO of Progressive Policy Institute, says Democrats can be pro environment and pro growth with data centers if strong rules are set
-
Bryant Julestrom, former St. Cloud State Professor, stated demands from large data centers will diminish and the wisest course may be to wait
-
James Jorgenson, an engineering drafting and design education assistant professor at Dunwoody College of Technology, said data centers affect daily life more than many people realize and it isn't just for AI.
Other voices 5
Journalists, lawyers, former officials, and speakers the source describes in words that name none of the groups above. Every state.
-
Tom Akaolisa, Editor
Minnesota data center boom testing balance between investment, energy, water, environmental oversight, and local decision making.
-
legal team
QLevr LLC threatens lawsuit claiming up to $150 million in damages
-
Matt Wolf, Taft Law attorney
Regulatory risk needs to be treated as a fundamental transaction term in data center projects
-
Rebekah Cohen Israel, Nilan Johnson Lewis attorney
Development moratoriums can pause key approvals and create complicated periods of uncertainty for developers and landowners
-
Deputy Administrator Nick Leonard requested permission to attend a two day training on data center development best practices in December in South Carolina, with only 15 applicants from across the U.S. accepted.
The group comes from the words the source gives for the speaker; how the groups are read. Every statement on the record is in CSV and JSON, with its group and its state.
