Put a Ban on New Data Centers in MN

Minnesotans can't afford new data centers

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The Problem with Data Centers:

  • Draining our water
    • One data center uses 1-5 million gallons PER DAY
    • 13+ proposed data centers = daily water demand of over 1 million Minnesotans
    • Data centers input clean, drinkable water and can output dirty, polluted water to taxpayer funded municipal treatment facilities or evaporation ponds
  • Spiking our utility bills
    • Data center energy demands have caused residential electricity rates to skyrocket around the U.S.
    • 13+ proposed data centers = energy demand equivalent to all 2.3 million homes in Minnesota
  • Threatening our environment and homes
    • Discharge water can contain toxic chemicals + PFAS not removed by municipal facilities
    • Groundwater depletion threatens trout streams & private wells
    • Property values can be negatively impacted by nearby data centers, especially in rural areas
  • Massive corporate welfare
    • MN is giving away $480 million over the next 4 years to Big Tech
    • Only ~50 permanent jobs per facility vs. millions in tax breaks
    • Some construction jobs likely imported from neighboring states

The Reality Check:

  • Data centers require an unsustainable amount of energy
  • Data centers consume an outrageous amount of water, especially when considering indirect consumption
  • Only ~50 permanent jobs and ~1000 construction jobs per data center while MN loses $480 million in tax revenue just over the next four years
  • Data centers target cheap rural land while potentially lowering surrounding property values

The Solution?

  • BAN new large-scale data center construction
  • RESCIND the technology equipment tax break
  • PRIORITIZE water for people, animals, and food over data center cooling
  • BUILD new carbon-free energy production & water infrastructure 


Contact Your Legislators:
Tell them to pour cold water on data center development in MN!

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Related Priorities
Minnesota's Tax Break for Big Tech
Large-scale industrial data center

Factsheet - Data Centers in Minnesota

While Clean Water Action Minnesota is not inherently opposed to large-scale data centers, nor the technological advancements of the 21st century, Clean Water Action Minnesota is opposed to massive tax breaks for the ultra- wealthy, exorbitant facility water and energy demands, and threatening our environment for short-term profits.
Data Centers — A threat to Minnesota’s water [Page 1]

Data Centers - A Threat To Minnesota's Water

Data centers are popping up across the country as the dependency on cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence increases. These centers require millions of gallons of water and huge amounts of electricity each year to cool the facility and run efficiently. Minnesotans shouldn’t be left on the hook for multi-billion-dollar companies seeking tax breaks to run facilities that not only monopolize but also poison our water.
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