Manjeet Rege, a professor of data science and AI at the University of St. Thomas, shared his perspective in the Minnesota Star Tribune on the rapid expansion of data centers across the state. Rege highlighted both the economic benefits and the environmental and community concerns tied to these projects, emphasizing the need for clear, statewide standards around energy use, water consumption, and transparency.
From the op-ed:
So why Minnesota? Our cooler climate makes it easier and cheaper to keep servers from overheating. We sit on a strong regional power grid with growing wind and solar capacity. We have available land near transmission lines and highways. Communities across the state also see data centers as a way to grow their tax base and attract well-paid, high-skill jobs without relying on heavy industry. When you add the fact that companies want geographic diversity for reliability, Minnesota has become a strategic node in the national AI and cloud computing map.
Artificial intelligence is the accelerator pedal behind this surge. We already needed data centers for search, streaming and cloud services, and that demand has been climbing steadily for years. What changed is the explosion of large AI models that require specialized chips and enormous clusters of machines to train and operate. Each new AI application is far more resource intensive than a traditional web application, turning a steady trend into a sprint. Companies are building and leasing capacity faster than they otherwise would, and Minnesota is squarely in their sights.
