Major meeting in Sioux Falls Tuesday on proposed hyperscale data center
Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County commissioners are holding a joint meeting on the proposed 500-megawatt Gemini Data Center planned for 164 acres between Sioux Falls and Brandon. The article highlights strong public opposition over electricity use, water consumption, noise and diesel-generator emissions, while local officials consider regulations and additional public input.
The Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County Commission are scheduled to meet in Sioux Falls to discuss the proposed Gemini Data Center, a 500-megawatt hyperscale facility planned on 164 acres between Sioux Falls and Brandon. The project previously received a 7-0 vote of support from the Sioux Falls Council despite hours of public testimony opposing it.
The meeting follows growing public concern about the facility's potential effects on electricity supplies, water resources, noise levels and air quality from diesel generators. Officials have created an oversight committee to gather public input and study possible data center regulations. Van Carter, a Sioux Falls environmentalist and retired broadcast journalist, argues that any project should use renewable power, closed-loop water recycling, sound barriers and emissions and fuel-containment controls, and says officials should avoid offering tax breaks.