This browser does not support the Video element.
New approach to data centers in Minnesota
Across the U.S. communities are grappling with growing concerns about data center projects. FOX 9’s All Day is joined by Blake Nixon, president and CEO of Geronimo Power, who explains one unique approach being taken in southwest Minnesota to ease development anxieties.
HERMANTOWN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Residents of Hermantown and the surrounding areas have filed a lawsuit against the city over plans to build a data center, claiming local leaders left them out of the plan.
READ MORE: Google revealed as developer behind controversial Hermantown data center
Hermantown data center lawsuit
Big picture view:
The lawsuit claims the city "has violated spot-zoning restrictions and otherwise improperly changed the zoning in the Adolph neighborhood."
In March, it was revealed that Google is the developer behind the data center proposed for a plot of land by Arrowhead Station near Midway Road and Highway 2, on the southwest side of Hermantown.
The project is also currently facing an environmental review and a lawsuit based on the data center's possible environmental impact.
What they're saying:
"There's so many avenues of this that we're fighting, and you know, on Monday, it's tax abatements, and development agreements that the city council could approve, and we'll continue to show up and speak out in our opposition to this." said Emma Richtman, a spokesperson for the Stop the Hermantown Data Center.
The other side:
FOX 9 has not yet heard back from the City of Hermantown after reaching out for a response to the lawsuit, but FOX 21 reports that city officials said they do not comment on pending litigation.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Controversy over elected officials signing NDAs
St. Louis County Commissioner Chair Annie Harala responded to concerns over elected officials signing non-disclosure agreements regarding a proposed data center project in Hermantown. She also addressed a video that shows a confrontation between a commissioner and another man who pressed the commissioner on the topic during a board meeting.
The backstory:
Back in October, the Hermantown City Council voted 4-0 to rezone more than 200 acres of land for the new data center.
Local leaders had previously been criticized for signing non-disclosure agreements regarding the data center's construction. One county commissioner who did so says she regrets the move, calling it a "breach of trust" before announcing that she now supports a ban on the practice.
READ MORE: Hermantown City Council moves forward with controversial data center
Tech companies have been aggressively building data centers across the country to prepare for a potential increase in demand caused by more demand for AI technology.
The Source: This story uses information shared by Stop the Hermantown Data Center and previous FOX 9 reporting.