Minnesota has dozens of data centers. Here’s where they are.
KSTP 5 Investigates mapped dozens of operational, decommissioned and proposed data centers across Minnesota. The report found that state records used to identify facilities eligible for sales-tax exemptions may include sites that no longer operate, making the industry difficult to track.
KSTP investigative reporter Kirsten Swanson examined Minnesota’s data center landscape, including smaller facilities serving corporate headquarters and colocation sites where businesses rent space for servers and IT infrastructure. The investigation found that the locations and operating status of many facilities are difficult to verify, while some receive millions of dollars in tax benefits.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development maintains a list of certified data centers that may qualify for sales-tax exemptions. DEED officials said the agency verifies whether facilities meet the requirements for those incentives, but acknowledged that the list includes facilities that may no longer exist and does not cover every data center in the state. KSTP created an interactive map showing facility locations, owners and operators, tax-exemption status and operational status, while asking viewers to provide additional information.