Data center debate continues in Inver Grove Heights

News Clip0:57FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul·Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County, MN·5/26/2026

The Inver Grove Heights City Council is set to discuss a proposed data center project near the South St. Paul Municipal Airport. Simultaneously, the council will consider implementing a one-year moratorium on new data center developments to study their impacts. The developer of the proposed project claims it would use a closed-loop water cooling system with minimal water consumption.

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Gov: Inver Grove Heights City Council

The Inver Grove Heights City Council is scheduled to discuss two key items related to data center development. First, the council will consider approving a data center project proposed for land near the South St. Paul Municipal Airport. The unnamed developer of this project states it would utilize a closed-loop water cooling system, claiming water consumption equivalent to just two single-family homes.

Second, the council is also poised to deliberate on a proposal for a one-year moratorium on new data centers within the city. This discussion in Inver Grove Heights is part of a broader trend across Minnesota and other regions, where many municipalities are enacting or considering bans on new data centers to allow for a better understanding of their potential environmental and infrastructure impacts. The topic has sparked considerable debate and questions from residents in both urban and rural areas.