Great River Energy (GRE) is helping move Minnesota toward a cleaner energy future, but its current proposed plan still has room for improvement. GRE is a generation and transmission energy cooperative that supplies electricity to approximately 1.7 million Minnesotans across roughly two-thirds of the state’s geography. As an electric cooperative (co-op), GRE is self-governed by […]
In a recent decision, a Minnesota judge accepted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) argument that it does not have the authority to regulate public agricultural drainage systems, infrastructure that aids crop production but funnels significant water pollution into Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, and drinking water. Ramsey County District Court Judge Leonardo Castro’s said in
🏛 Unfinished work: Data Center Laws MN Needs Minnesota’s 2025 data center law left major gaps that put communities, water, and local decision-making at risk. As lawmakers look ahead to the 2027 session, CURE is calling for stronger protections: a statewide permitting process, full environmental review, clean energy requirements, water use transparency, community safeguards, limits
Data Center Laws 🏛️ + Talon Nickel Mine 💧+ Silver Rapids ⚠️ Read More »
People in Appleton deserve to know the foreseeable impacts of reopening the Prairie Correctional Facility CURE has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for failing to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In January 2026, CURE submitted a request to BOP for information related to a 2014 environmental and economic
U.S. Bureau of Prisons fails to fulfill FOIA request for 7+ months. CURE sues. Read More »
Hyperscale data centers’ real-world resource demands impact many aspects of our lives: energy, water, air, noise, light, land use, public trust, and the economy, to name a few. Yet Minnesota’s so-called “nation-leading” data center law passed in 2025 only addresses energy and some economics—namely taxes—leaving communities around the state scrambling to understand and address the laundry list of potential negative impacts, virtually on their own. If hyperscale data centers plan to operate in Minnesota, our communities need these legal protections at a minimum.
Data Center Laws Minnesota Needs Read More »
Data Center coming to your community? 👉 Start here. As big tech backed data center proposals keep popping up across Minnesota, more people are asking questions, getting organized, and stepping into local leadership. CURE’s new Local Action Hub gives communities the tools, videos, resources, and real-world stories they need to understand what’s at stake and
A loophole called “piggybacking” lets large industrial water users rely on municipal permits instead of getting their own, shifting liability and consequences onto local communities. Hyperscale data centers are the latest industry trying this maneuver. As Elko New Market shows, the impacts don’t go away—someone else just gets stuck paying the price.
No More Piggyback Rides: The Loophole That Lets Big Water Users Avoid Accountability Read More »
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is currently accepting public comments on the Magellan / ONEOK Pipestone pipeline project (PUC Docket No. IP-7109/PPL-23-109), a proposed reroute of an 8-inch diameter gasoline and refined petroleum products pipeline that has been shut off since 2022. The reroute skirts the Pipestone National Monument, a site of importance to
No pipeline near the Pipestone National Monument Read More »
The Fine Print: Where Minnesota’s Data Center Law Falls Short 🔎 Across Minnesota, at least 15 hyperscale data centers have been proposed. State leaders say we already passed a “nation-leading” law in 2025, but does it actually cover what matters? Meanwhile, communities are left trying to figure out the impacts on local taxes, electricity use, and water, while projects move forward fast. The TL;DR: Minnesota’s 2025 law
Minnesota is racing to keep up with a surge in hyperscale data center proposals, but does its “nation-leading” 2025 law adequately protect communities? CURE breaks down what the current laws actually do—and don’t—on taxes, energy costs, and water use, and why more action is still needed.
The Fine Print: Where Minnesota’s Data Center Law Falls Short Read More »
Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.
Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the American Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, canning local produce, and making kombucha.
