Putting our Communities Ahead of Big Tech

Data centers and artificial intelligence can produce real benefits. I work in a laboratory that uses AI and medical imaging to help model diseases, so I have seen firsthand how this technology can support valuable research. But recognizing that potential does not mean giving big tech a free pass to build wherever it wants, however it wants.

Data centers can bring serious consequences for the communities around them, including noise, pressure on water and energy resources, higher utility costs, and concerns about data privacy and surveillance. Small towns struggling to fund essential services may see a proposed data center as a financial lifeline. That makes it especially important to ensure big tech cannot take advantage of our communities or secure sweetheart deals at the expense of the people who already live there. Minnesota needs strong guardrails and real accountability before development races ahead.

At the League of Women Voters House District 24A forum, my opponent emphasized the potential economic benefits of data centers and argued that proper siting is the key issue. He described touring a metro-area facility and said the highest noise measurement he recorded was comparable to standing next to Highway 494. He also said the facility used about as much water as four or five households and operated with a closed-loop system. You can watch the full data-center exchange here, beginning at approximately 22:30. Minnesota can welcome innovation while still putting residents, ratepayers, natural resources, and our small-town way of life first. Big tech’s priorities should never come before the needs of our communities.