Local votes and rules
🚫 Ban · Northfield
Northfield's planning commission voted unanimously to ask the City Council to ban hyperscale data centers. Staff had proposed cutting a 3,950-foot setback to 200 feet, but a packed hearing pushed back. The ban would define big data centers by power use.
📌 Other · Faribault
After the court ruling, Faribault's council gave the Archer data center until March 31, 2027 to finish a fuller environmental review. The project is a 500,000 square foot data center on about 87 acres.
⚖️ Court case · Faribault
The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that Faribault's environmental review of a big data center did not follow state law. The city must redo a fuller review of water, energy, noise and effects on neighbors. The case was brought by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
🗺️ Zoning change · Faribault
Faribault's council approved a zoning change with clearer rules on where data centers can go in the city. In April it had put off a version that would have allowed them in heavy industrial zones.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers · Lonsdale
Lonsdale paused data centers in the city for one year so it could study water and other effects. The vote was unanimous.
Find your town
In Minnesota, your township, city or ut usually decides where data centers can go.
- Bridgewater Township
- Cannon City Township
- Dennison City
- Dundas City
- Erin Township
- Faribault City
- Forest Township
- Lonsdale City
- Morristown City
- Morristown Township
- Nerstrand City
- Northfield City
- Northfield Township
- Richland Township
- Shieldsville Township
- Walcott Township
- Warsaw Township
- Webster Township
- Wells Township
- Wheatland Township
- Wheeling Township