US EditionMinnesota Power Partners with Google Data Center in Hermantown
Google and Minnesota Power will develop a 1.8 million sq ft data center campus with 700 MW of new clean energy, including wind and battery storage, supporting Minnesota's renewable goals.
- On March 3, Google announced it would build a proposed 1.8 million-square-foot data center in Hermantown, Minnesota, under an agreement with Minnesota Power to supply energy.
- Behind the announcement, records reveal Project Loon was secret for over a year, with land bought by Harmony Group LLC and Mortenson, Twin Cities-based developer, while Hermantown city officials signed nondisclosure agreements.
- As part of the agreement, Google will fund grid connection costs and contribute $5 million while Minnesota Power says customers won’t pay data center-related costs amid 700 megawatts of new clean energy.
- Residents mobilized after public meetings drew nearly 70 speakers, while Stop the Hermantown Data Center and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy cited ongoing litigation and inadequate local review.
- Following last week's Pine Island announcement, Minnesota Power said the likely electric service agreement will be submitted later this month, with phased construction over eight to 10 years, supporting state renewable goals.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Google announced as company building Hermantown data center
HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Google has announced it will be the company building the Hermantown Data Center. In a news release Tuesday, Google announced the partnership between the City of Hermantown, St. Louis County, Minnesota Power, APEX, and Mortenson. The proposed data center site sits between Solway Road and Sandberg Road and could include up to four buildings — each roughly 300,000 square feet. The Data center has sparked controversy in Hermantow…
Duluth News Tribune
Google behind proposed Hermantown data center
HERMANTOWN — Google has lifted the veil of secrecy that shrouded a controversial proposal to build a massive data center in the rural southwest corner of this city. The firm took public ownership of the project for the first time Tuesday morning, March 3, issuing a statement. “We are excited to announce plans for a new data center in Hermantown, marking the beginning of a partnership rooted in sustainable innovation and long-term investment,” sa…
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