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Data center debate: Hermantown votes to rezone land
Debates over data centers are happening across Minnesota. On Monday night, the Hermantown City Council voted unanimously to approve rezoning land in order to build a data center there.
HERMANTOWN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Google has been named as the developer behind the controversial data center proposed in Hermantown, Minn.
Local perspective:
Google was announced as the developer behind the data center proposed for a plot of land near Arrowhead Station near Midway Rd and Highway 2 on the southwest side of Hermantown.
The project is currently facing an environmental review and a lawsuit from a group opposing the project.
Plans for data center
Big picture view:
Just last week, FOX 9 learned that Google was also behind a data center proposed in Pine Island, Minnesota.
Google's proposal for Pine Island has gained some tepid approval from environmental activists. The proposal deals with some of the chief concerns of activists: energy use and water use.
Under Google's plan, the Pine Island facility increases access to green energy and uses "advanced air cooling" instead of water cooling.
Former Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called the data center a "model for other states."
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.
What we know:
It seems Google will follow a similar plan for the Hermantown data center.
The Minnesota Power release spells out plans for the development of 700 megawatts of new clean energy resources. City officials also add that the facility will not use water cooling.
What they're saying:
However, activist group Stop the Hermantown Data Center issued a statement on Tuesday saying the announcement by Minnesota Power has changed nothing:
"Stop the Hermantown Data Center is the voice for the neighborhood and the community. We speak on behalf of thousands of concerned residents. Now that Google has knocked on our door, we want them to know that we still plan on making them accountable. We expect that they will do a proper environmental review prior to applying for permits and respect the legal process currently underway. We encourage them to look at the history of this project and learn that the proposed site was rezoned under false pretenses. We encourage Google to do the right thing by finding a site more suitable than a project of this size. The Adolph area is not the right place, with hundreds of residents, children and families, generations of agricultural and farming lands, hundreds-old growth oak trees, prairielands, wetlands, abundant wildlife, and designated trout streams."