Q&A: MCEA’s Kathryn Hoffman on data center review process
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is calling for stronger environmental review processes, greater transparency, and better oversight for proposed hyperscale data centers in Minnesota. MCEA has filed lawsuits against four Minnesota cities concerning data center projects. Several cities in Minnesota, including Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, and Minneapolis, have already enacted moratoriums on new data center developments.
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is actively pushing for more robust environmental reviews, increased transparency, and enhanced oversight for proposed hyperscale data centers across Minnesota. Kathryn Hoffman, MCEA Executive Director, emphasized concerns about the projects' impacts on water resources and energy supplies, alongside a fundamental issue of secrecy due to non-disclosure agreements between developers and cities.
MCEA has initiated lawsuits against four Minnesota cities where data center projects are under consideration, advocating for changes to the environmental study process, which has sometimes omitted crucial details like the project type, energy use, water consumption, and potential air pollution, noise, or light concerns. Hoffman highlights the Minnesota Data Practices Act as a tool for residents to access documents despite NDAs.
The organization strongly advocates for the use of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which provides multiple public comment periods and is conducted at the state level, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of regional water use and statewide energy grid impacts. Hoffman believes that while technology can make data centers greener, regulatory guidelines are essential to incentivize environmentally sound designs, as companies often lack internal motivation for such changes. Meanwhile, cities like Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, and Minneapolis have already enacted moratoriums on new data center projects.