Faribault council extends data center environmental review to 2027 after court ruling
The Faribault City Council has extended the environmental review deadline for Archer Datacenters' proposed 500,000-square-foot project until March 31, 2027. This decision follows a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling that mandated more detailed environmental information or an impact statement. The extension will allow the developer to gather project-specific data to comply with the court's standards.
Faribault city officials have granted Archer Datacenters an extension to complete a supplemental environmental assessment for its large proposed data center. On Tuesday, the city council voted to move the deadline for the environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) to March 31, 2027.
This decision comes after a June 8 ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which called for either more extensive information regarding the project's potential environmental impacts or a full environmental impact statement (EIS). The extension will enable Archer Datacenters to compile project-specific details, such as water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and cooling systems, rather than relying on initial conceptual plans. The proposed 500,000-square-foot data center is planned for an 87-acre site south of 150th Street West and east of Acorn Trail. The Faribault City Council is scheduled to formalize this resolution on July 14.