Hyperscale data centers are a major concern for Minnesotans across the state. Whether or not a hyperscale data center is proposed for your community, people still have questions and concerns. CURE’s upcoming webinar series will help you get up to speed on key issues, including Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs), energy, water, environmental review, community benefit agreements, and more, so you can speak up for yourselves and your neighbors.
DPAs/NDAs/Transparency
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm CT
CURE and Minnesotans for Open Government hosted an informative webinar about the Data Practices Act (DPA) – Minnesota’s foundational public records law – and how you can exercise your rights to view and receive public data consistent with that law. Presenters provided timely examples of how DPA requests have been used to learn more about secrecy-shrouded data center projects across the state and answered questions about how the DPA applies despite things like non-disclosure agreements entered into by local governments.
This webinar kicked off CURE’s Data Center webinar series, which offers insight into their impacts on water, energy, and our communities, and the policies and tools you can use when faced with a proposed project.
Presenters included:
- Hudson Kingston, CURE Legal Director
- Sarah Mooradian, CURE Policy and Government Relations Director
- Don Gemberling, Minnesotans for Open Government expert on the DPA and retired public employee
Energy
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm CT
CURE, CUB, and Rewiring America held an informative webinar about the data centers and energy. Presenters provided insight on the key concerns about hyperscale data centers’ potential energy needs, how that energy might be generated, and the potential impacts on existing ratepayers and member-owners.
This was the second of CURE’s Data Center webinar series, which offers insight into their impacts on water, energy, and our communities, and the policies and tools you can use when faced with a proposed project.
Presenters included:
- Jenna Warmuth, Rewiring America Senior Manager, Midwest Regional Policy
- Brandon Crawford, CUB Regulatory Advocate
- Sarah Mooradian, CURE Policy and Government Relations Director
Water
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm CT
Understanding both direct and indirect water use in the operation of data centers is critical in protecting our freshwater supply. This webinar will cover the infrastructure, cooling systems, water management, chemical additives for fire and corrosion suppression, wastewater, water used in energy generation, and resources for community engagement. We will look at the cumulative water impacts of these projects and if they are good for Minnesota.
For participants wanting to learn more generally about data centers, please check out CURE’s Data Centers 101 prior to the presentation.
Peg Furshong – Director of Constituent Engagement and Special Projects, CURE
For more than a decade, Furshong has led programs at the nexus of Natural & Working Lands and Water. Her work has focused on water sustainability, landowner and community engagement, wetlands, drainage, water use and more recently – data centers. She earned an M.S. degree from Montana State University-Billings in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Information, Process & Communication (IPC). Currently she serves on the Attorney General’s Task Force on the Future of Minnesota’s Water.
Environmental Review
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 12 – 1 pm CT
CURE’s webinar series continues with a discussion of Environmental Review of data centers in Minnesota. This presentation by CURE’s legal staff will cover the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and how it relates to different types of environmental review that could be applied to a data center project. The presentation will cover MEPA petition processes, as well as mandatory categories that result in different tiers of review and will describe areas where the law could be clarified regarding which type of review is most appropriate for these new large-scale industrial projects.
Presenters included:
• Sarah Mooradian, CURE Policy and Government Relations Director
• Hudson Kingston, CURE Legal Director
Community Benefit Agreements
Tuesday, March 24 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm CT
CURE’s webinar series wraps up with a discussion of Community Benefit Agreements and how they may—or may not—be used in communities being wooed by hyperscale data centers. Join CURE for a Fireside Chat with Sarah Friedman, Co-Founder of the Better Data Center Project, to learn what Community Benefit Agreements are, their potential for durable and appropriate community development, the limits of their usefulness, and what local governments can/should know before negotiating or entering into any agreements with data center developers and operators.
Presenters included:
- Sarah K. Friedman, Better Data Center Project Co-Founder
- Hudson Kingston, CURE Legal Director
- Sarah Mooradian, CURE Policy and Government Relations Director
