Residents of NE Minnesota’s Carlton County seek moratorium on data centers
Residents in Carlton County, Minnesota, are advocating for a one-year moratorium on data center construction to allow the county to develop new regulatory ordinances. The Carlton County Board of Commissioners tentatively agreed to discuss the proposal at an upcoming meeting. Concerns about environmental impacts and electric grid strain were among those raised by residents.
Residents of Carlton County, Minnesota, are advocating for a one-year moratorium on the construction of AI data centers within the county's jurisdiction. During a June 9 meeting, Blackhoof Township resident Tim Anderson and other speakers urged the Carlton County Board of Commissioners to implement the pause, citing the need for time to develop comprehensive ordinances to regulate such facilities. The board tentatively agreed to discuss the proposed moratorium at its July 7 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
Concerns raised by residents, including the potential impacts on social infrastructure, personal health, the economy, the environment, and the electric grid, mirror those previously considered for the county's green burial moratorium. While not opposed to industry generally, residents emphasized the unique and complex regulatory requirements of data centers compared to established local industries. A commercial real estate agent, Greg Follmer, confirmed that his unnamed client is considering a 1 million square-foot data center project in Silver Brook Township, among other locations, driven by access to a power line. Commissioners encouraged residents to engage with the ongoing 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan to guide future land use policy.