Minnesota Senator to introduce data center moratorium

Minnesota Senator Jen McEwen is set to introduce a bill proposing a two-year moratorium on new data center permits across the state. This initiative follows concerns raised by the proposed Google data center project in Hermantown, Minnesota. Senator McEwen, a DFL member, stated that while Google's sustainability initiatives appear promising, they are not legally binding, leading to a lack of transparency and potential environmental damages that spurred her to introduce the bill. The moratorium would allow lawmakers and experts to thoroughly evaluate the potential impacts of data centers before further development.

McEwen specifically highlighted potential issues such as water, light, and noise pollution in the Hermantown area, along with a general lack of regulations throughout the data center building process. Duluth Representative Pete Johnson echoed these sentiments, stating that the lack of transparency and communication has already damaged public trust. Google issued a statement responding to concerns about water and energy, asserting that their approach would support Minnesota's carbon-free energy goals through investments in wind generation and advanced air-cooling technology. However, Senator McEwen reiterated that these remain non-binding promises, offering the public little control over the company's actions.

Several Republican state lawmakers in the Northland, including Senators Natalie Zeleznikar and Jason Rarick, and Representative Cal Warwas, declined to comment on the Hermantown data center announcement. Northern News Now has been extensively covering the data center plans, with a special report titled "Dateline Data Center: What's in it for us?" scheduled to air. The proposed moratorium aims to provide a temporary pause on hyper-scale data center development to address these complex issues.