Mankato City Council Approves Data Center Moratorium

The Mankato City Council met to address several agenda items, with a key focus on a moratorium for data centers and other high-impact utility consumers. The Council ultimately approved the moratorium, which will be in place for approximately one year to allow the city and its staff to conduct a comprehensive research study on the impacts of data centers.

During the meeting, several Mankato residents attended and voiced concerns regarding potential impacts on farming, agriculture, water resources, health, and climate. One resident strongly urged the City Council not to sign any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with data center companies, emphasizing the need for full transparency with Mankato residents and stating that NDAs would lead to public distrust.

Conversely, a couple of residents opposed the moratorium, citing concerns about missing opportunities for tax revenues and jobs, particularly for construction workers. They highlighted that Minnesota data center projects often use local union labor for building state-of-the-art facilities with high-efficiency cooling systems that convert electricity and water. It was also noted that North Mankato and Blue Earth County are considering similar moratoriums on data centers and high-impact utility consumers.