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Data centers in Minnesota: 17 projects mapped
Minnesota's largest data center plans are Google's campuses in Pine Island, about 20 minutes northwest of Rochester, and Hermantown, outside Duluth, plus Tract's 2.5 million-square-foot campus in Farmington. All three face lawsuits. Pine Island's project is on hold after a Goodhue County judge ordered developer Ryan Companies on May 22 to stop all construction and pre-construction work until the case is decided. Hermantown's still needs city council approval, and the city is redoing its environmental review, expected in September or October.
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy argues that the cities' environmental reviews did not properly study projects they knew were likely to be very large data centers. Google has promised Pine Island's schools $24 million over 20 years and Hermantown's about $70 million over 28, and the two cities offer tax breaks worth more than $100 million combined. "I think it's a bribe, honestly," said Pine Island resident Megan Post. In Hermantown, leaked recordings of city officials mocking opponents led the mayor to apologize and seek an outside investigation.
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In Farmington, residents are suing over Tract's campus, which would need about 700 megawatts of power and more than double the city's water use of about 2.14 million gallons a day; a judge refused to dismiss the case in November 2025. In Monticello, the same advocacy group is challenging the review for a planned data center, and the city now requires it to meet a new data center ordinance before permits.
At least eight cities and counties have paused new data centers, including Eagan, Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights and Wright County. Minneapolis voted in May to pause data centers larger than 350,000 square feet, then approved a five-month moratorium June 25. "My constituents and people from across this city are so, so clear that they don't want data centers at all," said Council Member Soren Stevenson. Local boards have rejected data centers in Apple Valley, Elk River and Nobles County, and a developer dropped its plan for the former Star Tribune printing plant in Minneapolis.
10 counties with tracked projects
Only places with at least one project have a page.
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Where people here have won
Projects stopped by a vote, pulled by their developer, or blocked in court.
| Place | What happened | Date | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MinneapolisLegacy Investing | Withdrawn by the developer Developer withdrew its land use application after neighborhood opposition. | Sep 11, 2026 | 20 MW | |
| Elk RiverSwervo Development / Elk River Capital | Withdrawn by the developer City Council unanimously rejected the zoning change, then the developer withdrew. | Jul 6, 2026 | 33 MW, 60,000 sq ft | |
| Nobles CountyGeronimo Power | Denied by a vote County commissioners voted down the zoning change the project needed on farmland. | Apr 21, 2026 | 959 acres, 2.5 million sq ft, 400 to 450 MW | |
| Apple ValleyOppidan / Rockport LLC | Denied by a vote City Council unanimously denied the site plan and permits, after rejecting the land-use change it needed in January. | Mar 26, 2026 | 134 acres, 5 buildings, 1.05 million sq ft, 250 to 300 MW |
Moratoriums and bans in effect
Places in Minnesota that have paused or banned new data centers.
| Place | Type | Started | Ends | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk RiverTown or city | Moratorium | Aug 3, 2026 | Aug 3, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Chisago County | Moratorium | Aug 2026 | Aug 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Apple ValleyTown or city | Moratorium | Jul 9, 2026 | Jul 9, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Inver Grove HeightsTown or city | Moratorium | Jun 26, 2026 | Jun 26, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Le Sueur County | Moratorium | Jun 4, 2026 | Jun 4, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Wright County | Moratorium | May 26, 2026 | May 26, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| MinneapolisTown or city | Moratorium | May 22, 2026 | Nov 21, 2026 | Record off site ↗ |
| LonsdaleTown or city | Moratorium | May 5, 2026 | May 5, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| RosemountTown or city | Moratorium | Apr 23, 2026 | Apr 23, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| CarverTown or city | Moratorium | Apr 11, 2026 | Apr 11, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| EaganTown or city | Moratorium | Feb 17, 2026 | Feb 17, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.