Nobles County residents pushing back on proposed data center

A public hearing was convened in Worthington, Minnesota, to address a proposed zoning ordinance change related to a new data center. Geronimo Power is seeking to build this data center north of the city, requiring approval for the zoning adjustment. Numerous Nobles County residents voiced strong opposition to the project. Rod Birkhard, a resident living near the proposed site, highlighted the stress and uncertainty the project is causing. Mallerie Fritz, another local, expressed skepticism about Geronimo Power's long-term commitment and the unknown future operators, which could include tech giants like Google, Amazon, or Meta. Key resident concerns include the data center's potential electricity demands, despite Geronimo Power's assurances that the 400 megawatts needed will not impact local rates. Water usage is also a major issue, with residents questioning the effectiveness of a proposed closed-loop cooling system and fearing impacts on local groundwater and shallow wells. Environmental quality and loss of wildlife habitat were also cited as concerns. During the meeting, it was suggested that every township in Nobles County consider a 12-month moratorium on data center development. While some public comments supported the zoning change, it was not approved at this meeting. The Nobles County Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the matter next week, clarifying that approval of the zoning ordinance change does not automatically greenlight the entire data center project.