Archer Datacenters Faribault campus
Archer Datacenters wants to build up to 500,000 square feet of data centers on about 84 acres in Faribault's north industrial park, with up to 120 MW of power. In June 2026 the Court of Appeals said the city's environmental review was too weak. A new review is due by March 2027.
Where things stand: An appeals court threw out the city's environmental review in June 2026. The city gave Archer until March 31, 2027 to file a fuller review.
🕒 Latest update (July 7, 2026): City Council gave Archer until March 31, 2027 to file a fuller environmental review (supplemental EAW).
What we know
- 📍 WhereNorth industrial park, south of 150th Street West and east of Acorn Trail, Faribault, Rice County
- 🏢 CompanyArcher Datacenters
- 🌳 Size84 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs120 megawatts (about as much as 96,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromUp to 120 MW from a new substation on site.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much water will the Archer data center use, and how will it be cooled? 🙋 I'll find out
- Which company will use the data center? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the city require a full environmental impact statement? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Sept 2025MCEA appealed the city's decision to skip a full environmental impact statement.
- June 8, 2026Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled the city's environmental review was not backed by enough evidence and sent it back.
- July 7, 2026City Council gave Archer until March 31, 2027 to file a fuller environmental review (supplemental EAW).
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
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
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'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.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- City of Faribault to revise environmental review after Minnesota Court of Appeals case · KEYC · June 10, 2026
- Faribault City Council directs supplemental EAW, extension to March 2027 · Faribault Daily News · July 2026
- Legal updates on MCEA's data center cases · Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy · May 15, 2026
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