Bemidji considers data center moratorium with possible code updates
The city of Bemidji, Minnesota, is considering a one-year moratorium on data centers to allow staff time to update planning and zoning codes. This discussion follows inaccurate reports of a data center project in the city and broader concerns over resource consumption and environmental impact. The Planning Board agreed to vote on the moratorium in September.
The city of Bemidji, Minnesota, is contemplating a one-year moratorium on data center development. This consideration comes months after an inaccurate news report incorrectly listed Bemidji as a location where data centers were being considered, and amidst a trend of other Minnesota local governments, such as Carlton County, proposing or enacting similar moratoriums due to concerns over the local impacts of large data center complexes.
Bemidji Assistant Planning Director Melissa Fahrenbruch stated that no developer has yet approached the city for a data center. The proposed pause would grant city staff time to update existing planning and zoning codes to ensure community health and safety. The Bemidji Planning Board, which includes all six City Council members, did not take formal action at its August meeting but agreed to vote on the moratorium in September.
The proposal has elicited varied opinions among board members. Mayor Jorge Prince expressed support for a moratorium that specifically defines and targets large-scale data centers, ensuring that smaller, existing facilities like the one operated by Paul Bunyan Communications in Bemidji would not be encumbered. Ward 5 Councilmember Lynn Eaton, chair of the Planning Board, highlighted concerns about the significant consumption of electricity and gas, and the substantial carbon footprint of data centers. Conversely, Ward 3 representative Mark Dickinson voiced doubts about the availability of suitable real estate within city limits and suggested a moratorium might just be