Minnesota Data Center Intel

Recent Minnesota data center news

• Dec 30, 2025

  Scorecard: Looking Back at Data Center Frontier’s 2025 Industry Predictions

  Data Center Frontier published a 2025 scorecard grading eight data center industry trends and issued verdicts on each, emphasizing that power, cooling, and utility coordination dominated what shaped the industry in 2025.

  • Main announcement: Data Center Frontier released a year-end scorecard evaluating eight core trends with graded verdicts (e.g., “VERDICT: MASSIVE HIT” for power constraints and hyperscale megacampuses; “VERDICT: STRONG HIT” for natural gas bridging supply). The article cites specific figures and deals including estimates that U.S. data center energy use could reach up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028 (Congressional Research Service), a reported $120+ billion of AI data center spending shifted off balance sheets (Financial Times), and Alphabet’s $4.75 billion acquisition of Intersect Power to align energy and compute deployment timelines.
  • Background and details: The piece documents operational shifts in 2025—liquid direct-to-chip cooling moved to baseline design assumptions (TrendForce: DLC adoption ~33% in 2025), natural gas and behind-the-meter generation emerged as fast-to-deploy reliability options (ExxonMobil’s 1.5-GW plant plans and CCS pairing), and quantum and immersion cooling progressed technically but remained “Too Early” for broad adoption. It also notes concrete geographic and market examples (record-low primary market vacancy at 1.6% per CBRE; secondary market growth in Central Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana, Utah, Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee).
• Dec 30, 2025

  Some of the Wisconsinites working for environmental change in 2025 and beyond

  WUWM revisits several Wisconsinites working for environmental change in 2025.

  • Main focus: Profiles individuals and local efforts addressing climate, public health and land use — including Jariel Ramos (youth climate organizing and political ambition), Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek (Integrating Indigenous knowledge into natural resources management), David DeVooght (relocating buildings displaced by a Port Washington data center development), Lee Donahue (leading a Town of Campbell effort to build a municipal well), and Paul Florsheim (challenging shoreline access restrictions in Shorewood). Key factual items: $50 million municipal well project in the Town of Campbell to tap a deep uncontaminated aquifer; the Wisconsin DNR provided bottled water to more than 1,700 households for PFAS contamination; a cited fine of $313 in Shorewood; movers have relocated two barns from the Port Washington site and moved a pole barn about six miles.
  • Background and project details: The Town of Campbell response followed state testing showing 97.3% of nearly 600 wells had PFAS; the municipal well project is described as a concrete remediation investment (cost $50 million) to secure PFAS-free water. The Shorewood case is pending a municipal judge decision expected early 2026. Vantage is named as the data center developer linked to the Port Washington site where structures are being relocated.
• Dec 30, 2025

  Smart Building Environmental Monitoring With EC312-LoRaWAN Gateway

  InHand Networks announced the EC312-LoRaWAN industrial gateway solution for smart building environmental monitoring in a press release distributed via ACCESS Newswire on December 30, 2025 from Chantilly, Virginia.

  • Main announcement: InHand Networks unveiled the EC312-LoRaWAN industrial gateway as a low-power, wide-coverage solution for continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, water leakage, and door/access status; the solution supports LoRaWAN sensors, built-in LNS, private LoRaWAN deployment, and multiple backhaul options (Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, cellular). The release was published via ACCESS Newswire on December 30, 2025 (Chantilly, Virginia).
  • Background and details: The company highlights industrial-grade 24/7 operation, zero-code integration via InHand DSA, and a global footprint serving customers in over 60 countries including United States and China. Media contact listed: Eleanor Chen, Marketing & Communications (eleanor.chen@inhand.com). SOURCE: ACCESS Newswire press release.
• Dec 30, 2025

  Credo Releases 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report

  Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd released its 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report.

  • Main announcement: Credo reported advances in energy-efficient connectivity aimed at supporting the energy-efficient growth of AI data centers, highlighted improvements across its product portfolio (targets for 100G, 200G, 400G, 800G and emerging 1.6T port markets), strengthened its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, expanded employee programs, and broadened Credo Cares partnerships in 2025. The company’s CEO, Bill Brennan, is quoted describing product improvements and reduced power consumption efforts in 2025.
  • Background and details: The report emphasizes product families including SerDes and DSP technologies, Integrated Circuits (ICs), Active Electrical Cables (AECs) and SerDes Chiplets; markets noted are optical and electrical Ethernet interconnects (100G–1.6T). The release links to Credo’s ESG page and includes media and investor contacts (diane.vanasse@credosemi.com, dan.oneil@credosemi.com).
• Dec 30, 2025

  How industry boomed this year in Aroostook County

  Presque Isle broke ground on a $6 million aerospace research park and VALT Enterprizes will expand into the new 72-acre park at Presque Isle International Airport.

  • Main announcement: The city of Presque Isle and regional partners broke ground on a $6 million John F. Kennedy Aerospace Research Park (72 acres); VALT Enterprizes (Maine rocket company) will expand from the General Aviation Terminal into the new park. Maine DOT Director of Aviation Alan Lambert framed the project as bringing the “new space economy” to the state and estimated aerospace could add $1 billion annually to Maine’s GDP.
  • Additional verified project details and timeline: Loring Commerce Centre redevelopment includes a $65 million Taste of Maine Potato Chip Co. plant (96,000 sq ft, expected to open April–May 2026, ~40 jobs, initial four kettles producing ~100,000 8‑oz bags/day, using ~1,500 acres of potatoes); LiquidCool Solutions leased >115,000 sq ft for what is described as Maine’s first AI data center (targeted to open within 6 months, starting at 5–6 MW and expandable up to 50 MW, ~20,000 servers); $3 million University of Maine Aroostook Farm research lab opened (funded by the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan); McCain Foods agreed to acquire Penobscot McCrum and enter a long-term potato supply agreement; Amazon opened a Caribou delivery station after spending just over $4.4 million on renovations (part of Amazon’s >$4 billion rural delivery expansion).
• Dec 29, 2025

  DCF Trends Summit 2025 - Beyond the Blueprint: The New Realities of Data Center Investment and Site Selection

  Data Center Frontier hosted a panel session at the DCF Trends Summit 2025 summarizing that power scarcity, entitlement complexity, and community scrutiny are reshaping data center site selection and investment.

  • Main announcement/action: The panel (moderated by Ed Socia of datacenterHawk; panelists Denitza Arguirova of Provident Data Centers, Karen Petersburg of PowerHouse Data Centers, Brian Winterhalter of DLA Piper, Phill Lawson-Shanks of Aligned Data Centers, and Fred Bayles of Cologix) concluded that site selection has become power-first, with developers “chasing power, not square footage,” exploring on-site natural gas generation as a transitional measure, and prioritizing utility partnerships and credibility to secure entitlements. The session recap was published on December 29, 2025 and referenced regional opportunities in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Minneapolis.

  • Background and details: Panelists noted that entitlement regimes in mature markets (e.g., Loudoun County, Prince William County) now demand higher-quality design, off-site infrastructure contributions, and sustained community engagement; sustainability discussions flagged that delivering more than 100 gigawatts of new capacity from renewables alone is not currently feasible, prompting mixed energy strategies and evolving PPA approaches. The DCF Trends Summit call for speakers for 2026 lists a proposal deadline of Jan. 9, 2026.

• Dec 29, 2025

  BioLargo Reflects on 2025 Progress and Positions for the Next Phase of Global Infrastructure, Environmental, and Medical Innovation

  BioLargo, Inc. delivered an open letter to stockholders summarizing 2025 progress and positioning its environmental, energy-storage (Cellinity), and medical (Clyra) platforms for commercial deployment in 2026.

  • Main announcement: BioLargo reports deployment progress in 2025, including installation of its proprietary Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC) for PFAS removal at a municipal plant in Lake Stockholm, New Jersey, advancing public-private plans for Cellinity battery factory development aligned with state/regional infrastructure priorities, and Clyra completing a first production run for ViaClyr with commercial distribution preparations and expected product launches in 2026.
  • Background and details: Management emphasizes disciplined capital deployment and technical validation over rapid expansion; outlines use-cases across data centers, advanced manufacturing, energy storage, and environmental remediation; notes Clyra will present clinical findings at medical symposiums in early 2026 and that Cellinity is positioned as a domestic production alternative addressing safety and supply-chain concerns.
• Dec 23, 2025

  Data centers revive polluting ‘peaker’ plants across U.S.

  NRG Energy withdrew a planned retirement notice for the Fisk oil-fired peaker units as surging electricity demand from AI data centers in PJM territory made peaker plants economically viable.

  • Main action: NRG Energy withdrew the retirement notice for Fisk’s eight oil-fired peaking units (December 2025) after AI data center demand drove prices in PJM higher; PJM said the market shows electricity demand outstripping supply and that existing generation is needed while new generation comes online. Key facts: Fisk = eight peaking units on former coal station site; EPA estimated sulfur dioxide 2 to 25 tons/year from the site; PJM prices to suppliers soared by more than 800% this summer.
  • Background & other details: Reuters analysis found about 60% of oil, gas and coal plants slated for retirement in PJM postponed or cancelled retirements this year; 23 plants were scheduled to retire starting in 2025 in PJM territory, and since January 13 retirements were delayed or cancelled (of those, 11 were peakers). The U.S. Government Accountability Office notes peakers supply about 3% of the country’s power but have capacity to produce 19%, and federal actors (DOE/Administration) have signaled interest in tapping spare capacity.
• Dec 17, 2025

  Our top 25 accomplishments of 2025

  Fresh Energy has summarized its 2025 achievements advancing clean energy and climate policy in Minnesota and outlined priority decarbonization actions for 2026.

  • Key 2025 actions included: defending Minnesota’s 100% clean electricity law from rollbacks, helping secure PUC approval for 6,080 MW of new wind, solar, and storage by 2030, driving a data center policy package into law with consumer and environmental protections, supporting multiple electrification, energy efficiency, EV charging, and bill-credit pilots, influencing residential energy code updates and industrial decarbonization funding (including $200 million in Climate Smart Food Systems grants), and advocating for MISO transmission expansions and against federal vehicle emissions rollbacks.
  • Looking ahead to 2026, Fresh Energy plans to: ensure progress toward 100% clean electricity by 2040, provide policy leadership on Sustainable Aviation Fuel, co-create a technical roadmap for industrial decarbonization, advocate for community-centered cumulative impacts rules, engage in ECO triennial planning and transportation electrification plans, and continue addressing hard-to-decarbonize sectors through grid, renewables, and clean technology investments in Minnesota.
• Dec 16, 2025

  Environmental group's lawsuit seeks immediate halt to proposed Pine Island data center

  The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) has filed a lawsuit and requested a temporary restraining order to halt Ryan Companies’ Project Skyway development in Pine Island, Minnesota.

  • Main action:MCEA filed for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Dec. 12, 2025 to prevent the City of Pine Island and Ryan Companies US Inc. from granting any permits related to the “Project Skyway Alternative Urban Areawide Review” until the Court rules on a motion for a temporary injunction. Project details: developer Ryan Companies proposes development of 482 acres north of Pine Island with Scenario A: 335 acres general light industrial + 105 acres technology center (including office and data center uses); Scenario B: 440 acres as technology center.
  • Background & timeline:
    • Court hearing: 1 p.m. Feb. 2, 2026 via Zoom in Goodhue County District Court.
    • Local meeting: Pine Island City Council was scheduled to consider a preliminary plat and preliminary development plan at 6 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2025 (final plat, annexation, rezoning and conditional use permit approvals would be separate, later steps).
    • Procedural notes: Ryan Companies’ attorneys filed a brief on Dec. 15, 2025 asking for an opportunity to respond to the TRO request; approval from the state Public Utilities Commission is required before a data center could be constructed.