: Devon Young Cupery
Data Centers are on the Ballot this November.
If big tech companies want to build here, they should be good neighbors. That’s not asking too much. But right now, the only clear winners from Minnesota’s continued lack of robust data center laws are big tech behemoths pushing projects.
Who You Elect Matters.
Minnesota’s 2025 data center law fell short. In 2027, lawmakers must pass comprehensive data center regulations that put Minnesotans first.
Ask Your Candidate...
Do you support requiring water use permits for data centers, instead of allowing facilities to “piggyback” onto existing municipal permits?
Learn more about permit piggybacking here.
Do you support banning non-disclosure agreements, which have been used to keep data center projects secret from communities?
Multiple cities and counties have signed NDAs with data center developers and end users, obscuring early planning and project details from the public view and participation.
Do you support repealing the sales tax breaks Minnesota gives to hyperscale data centers?
In 2025, the Minnesota Legislature voted to extend sales tax breaks for data centers, allowing the benefit to be claimed until as late as 2077.
Do you support requiring data centers to use new clean energy from the start? Who should pay for the new energy generation and transmission infrastructure needed to serve these projects?
Hyperscalers use massive amounts of electricity and often rely on polluting diesel-powered generators for back-up power. While Minnesota’s 2025 data center laws introduced certain electric rate protection mechanisms, whether these will be sufficient depends on implementation at the Public Utilities Commission.
Should Minnesota require specific protections to combat noise and light impacts before any projects move forward?
Hyperscalers can cause significant noise and light pollution for nearby communities.
Should Minnesota require a state-level permit and environmental review before a hyperscale data center can be built?
Currently, data center projects are primarily approved through Alternative Urban Areawide Reviews, which don’t provide adequate opportunities for public engagement and aren’t intended to be used for careful review of specific projects.
What will you do to protect Minnesota communities and our shared environment from the negative impacts of hyperscale data centers?
More than 15 hyperscale data centers have been proposed in Minnesota. Learn more about the potential impacts of hyperscale data center development here.
The World’s Biggest Tech Companies Don’t Need Special Treatment.
Minnesota still lacks strong regulations, leaving communities around the state scrambling to navigate this laundry list of potential impacts, virtually on their own. We need statewide rules that give local people a real say in their community’s future.
Will Your Candidate Commit?
Water Belongs to All of Us.
Data centers must report real water use, reduce demand, disclose wastewater additives, and pay their fair share. They need their own permits. No loopholes. No hiding behind city water permits.
Transparency Required.
No secret deals. No Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). No keeping communities in the dark.
No Taxpayer Handouts.
Big Tech shouldn’t get taxpayer-funded tax breaks. End the sales tax exemption for hyperscale data centers and stop local giveaways that shift costs onto everyone else.
New Demand, New Energy.
If data centers need more power, they must bring new clean energy and storage online. Minnesota families, businesses, and co-op members shouldn’t be left footing the bill.
Clean Air. Quiet Nights. Healthy Communities.
No diesel pollution from “backup” generators. Prevent excessive noise and round-the-clock light pollution before it becomes a problem.
Is a Data Center Coming to Your Community?
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