Minnesota Power provided an update regarding the Hermantown data center project.
Community debate continues over the proposal by Google to build a data center in the city of Hermantown. For hours during the March 16 city council meeting, those for and against the project continued to state their case.
In early March, it was unveiled that Google was the company behind the proposal. That same day, Minnesota Power shared details on its agreement with the tech giant to power the facility, should it be built.
“We believe this agreement supports job creation, tax revenue and economic development in the region,” said Minnesota Power Vice President Frank Fredrickson. The Electric Service Agreement (ESA) between the two companies calls for upgrades to the grid that will include new clean energy resources. Under Minnesota law, the costs for these upgrades won’t be passed on to rate payers.
Supporters of the data center project have pointed to increased tax revenue and job creation. But not everyone is convinced. Critics of the plan have raised a multitude of concerns, ranging from potential negative environmental impacts, to the location of the site itself.
“We’re not talking about being against data centers. We’re talking about no data center in a residential community. It’s simple,” said local Jeffery Donahue.
During the meeting, city officials also detailed plans for a new Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR), a type of environmental study on the site selected for the project. A previous draft had been adopted by the council back in October of 2025, but with further details about the project being known, the city as well as the developer voluntarily decided to start a new AUAR, which will supersede the original. The process is expected to take about 7 months, with plenty of opportunities for public comment along the way.
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