Environment & Resources

Now, more than ever, the Minnesota legislature must step up to protect our natural resources and waterways. It will be up to the legislature to ensure that every citizen has clean water, clean air, and safe food. We need to encourage reasonable, sustainable sources of renewable energy, particularly as fossil fuel prices soar, and embrace efforts to conserve water quality, reduce usage, and protect natural sources of water. To keep energy available and affordable, we need to continue to cut down on carbon emissions and look towards cleaner renewable sources. We must also find safer ways to transport the oil and gas we do use. As a member of the Community Advisory Council to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Refinery, I represented our shared interests in protecting the environment and increasing safety. My experience working with energy producers to promote cleaner production has informed many of my votes at the Capitol.

Minnesota has attracted many data center projects and I am paying attention to the potential impact on the environment and resources. As a member of the Tax Committee, I took proactive steps by voting for a new basic framework that regulates large data centers, imposes fees to fund energy assistance programs, and requires utilities to plan for the increased demand on resources these centers will cause without burdening the local population. While we were unable to repeal all the tax benefits these wealthy corporations will receive, we did repeal the sales tax exemption on their electricity usage, making them pay more toward their fair share.

To the extent data centers may be considered across Minnesota, I encourage the public to raise questions with city and municipal leaders. I supported legislation to bar the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for these projects, but it was not brought to a vote. I am aware of proposed legislation seeking to impose a five-year ban on such facilities across Minnesota, but it has not yet been passed in the legislature.

Rosemount has now issued a one-year moratorium on new data center approvals. Nevertheless, Rosemount will soon be home to a Meta data center. This is not without controversy, and although it is physically located in an adjacent House district (58B), the center will impact a great many of my constituents. As soon as I learned of the proposal, I convened meetings with Meta, the Rosemount City Department of Natural Resources, and Xcel Energy to address my concerns. These discussions led to a meeting with Mortenson Construction, the current builder. Mortenson has a proprietary building plan designed to reduce the impact on water and energy usage. To date, that design has only been constructed in one other place. We will continue to monitor whether Meta and this builder meet their commitments.

I have been assured that this data center has a single owner, will not utilize water for cooling purposes, but will rely heavily on electricity. Xcel Energy has assured me that they will finance all necessary infrastructure to accommodate the facility’s power needs. However, I remain concerned about the effects of noise pollution, increased power usage, the impact on local employment – both during construction and in ongoing operations – and the commitment of the developers to engage positively with the community should promises not be fulfilled.

The Meta data center is being built on part of the former U-More Park which was unsuitable for most development. Meta is responsible for cleaning the pollution from the site. The center intends to take full advantage of our cold season, utilize renewable energy, and employ new technology to minimize water needs. The facility will be built by union workers, bring in good paying jobs, and become an important part of the local property tax base.

The risks associated with data centers in terms of the environment and impact on nearby residents, cannot be separated from the purpose of the center itself. The potential generation of artificial intelligence adds a layer of complexity and concern that warrants further scrutiny.

Preserving Minnesota’s environment and natural resources should be a nonpartisan issue, and I will always vote to protect our beautiful state, and more importantly, the health and safety of Minnesotans.

Highlights:

2025 Legacy Bill (passed with strong bipartisan support)

• Outdoor Heritage Fund - $163 million
• Clean Water Fund - $304 million
• Parks and Trails Fund - $130 million
• Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund - $180 million

Regulated data center development:

• Must meet energy, environmental and labor standards

• Pay a fee to fund energy assistance programs

• Utilities must plan for increased load and devise a new way to charge centers for their energy usage

• Repealed the sales tax exemption on centers’ electricity usage

• Reauthorization of the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (2023). Passed with strong bipartisan support.

• Created a State Competitiveness Fund to provide local matching funds to unlock federal energy grants (2023). Passed with strong bipartisan support.

• The Climate and Energy Budget Bill invests in electrification and expanded energy efficiency and energy conservation (2023). Passed with strong bipartisan support.

  • $50 million for solar programs Programs to unlock federal and private energy funding
  • $30 million to make electric vehicles and school busses more affordable
  • $30 million to upgrade Minnesota’s electrical grid

• 100% clean energy standard by 2040

• Investments to root out forever chemicals in drinking water and lead pipe replacement Green rebates on e-bike and home electrification purchases

• $9 million for Minnesota’s parks and trails.