Data centers face heavy regulations in Minnesota–32 related policies to be exact–like environmental and energy requirements and fees for large-scale operations. But, this isn’t stopping corporations from trying to build them.
Right now there are 29 data centers in some stage of development in the state, with 13 already operational and 14 planned. Minnesotans are successfully pushing back on new proposals statewide.
Below are some of the biggest Minnesota data center proposals that have been in the works over the last year and where they stand today.
Hermantown: Ongoing
Google is planning to build a data center in Hermantown, a Duluth suburb. Costing $2 billion and covering 1.8 million square feet, the city says construction will create hundreds of jobs over the 8-10-year building window, and there will be “at least 40 full-time positions” initially, and over 100 when fully built. Hermantown also claims an estimated $70 million in property tax relief, and Google is offering to pay $130 million to extend utilities and infrastructure to the site.
Hermantown residents are strongly against the data center, launching an entire website as part of their campaign to shut down the proposal. The location is privately-owned and houses hundreds of families. The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and a citizen group have filed lawsuits to prevent construction, which the City Council is still dealing with. As of May 4, a City Council vote to give tax breaks to the data center was tabled for more public comment.
Monticello: Ongoing
Monticello in Wright County has two active data center proposals at hand.
The developer Scannell wants to build the Monticello Data Center in 2027, a 1.3-million-square-foot building that would use 150 megawatts of power. Frattalone Companies wants to build the separate Monticello Tech Park, which could cost up to $5 billion and would cover 3 million square feet.
On April 27, the City Council voted to establish a Data Center Planned Unit Development ordinance (DCPUD), putting strict enforcement on district rezoning and permit processes. The public is still unhappy with both the proposals. A petition to stop any data center building in the city was signed over 2,400 times, and a Facebook group dedicated to discussion and advocacy around the issue has attracted over 1,600 members.
On May 19, the City of Monticello enacted a one-year moratorium on data centers. But, this only applies to new data center applications and township land, meaning the two active proposals can still continue. The city has yet to see a formal land application from either proposing company.
Rosemount: Paused
Meta is building the Rosemount Data Center, an $800 million project spanning 715,000 square feet in Dakota County, south of the Twin Cities The company says the project will produce 1,000 construction jobs and 100 operational jobs once completed. Meta claims the center will support local schools and nonprofits, prioritize sustainability, and minimize water use. The site will use 308 megawatts of renewable energy to “optimize AI workloads and help people connect, find communities, and grow their businesses.”
Earmarked to begin construction late this year, Rosemount residents opposed to the project have successfully postponed that. First, they took to Rosemount’s City Council on March 3 to ask that the process be paused. The council took no action. But on April 21, the council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium to pause operations and “complete further studies and evaluations.”
Pine Island: Paused
Google is planning to build Project Skyway just north of Rochester. The tech giant says the data center will add 1,900 megawatts of clean energy to the regional grid, initially cover 88 acres, and ultimately span across 482 acres of land. The company adds that it will pay $20 million in road and utility upgrades, create 100 permanent operational jobs for the initial project, and will create “tens of millions of dollars in new property tax revenue.”
Residents have a long list of concerns when it comes to the data center. A Facebook group called Stop the Pine Island Data Center was born to organize against the “AI bubble” and has over 1,700 members.
In October 2025, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy sued the City of Pine Island and the developer in a push to pause the project, which had been set to start construction in July 2026. In late May of this year, a Goodhue County judge granted a temporary restraining order to stop the developers from beginning construction.
Nobles County: Rejected
Geronimo Power wanted to build the Nobles County Data Center in southwestern Minnesota in 2030. Covering 2.5 million square feet with a price tag of $4 billion, the company says it would create over 1,000 construction and 85 permanent jobs. Using 400 megawatts of power, Geronimo claims it would create millions in property tax revenue for the county, and $10 million would be donated to a dedicated local charitable fund, distributed over the first 20 years of operation.
The county board of commissioners shut it down on April 21 in a 3-2 vote, preventing any data centers from being built in agricultural preservation districts. Nobles County is known for being a farming county. Geronimo says it will “consider alternative options.”
Stay informed
Do you have a data center operating or trying to come to your city? Shoot Ashley an email at ashleywalker@couriernewsroom.com to tell your story.
