Google Data Center Open House Marred by Disruptions in Minnesota

Google hosted an open house at its proposed data center in Hermantown, Minnesota, on Wednesday night. Multiple attendees were escorted out of the AAD Shrine event center after they shouted and interrupted a presentation by Google representatives.

The representatives had been speaking for nearly an hour, discussing energy usage, construction, and the building itself. They explained that the data center site will have three main buildings, three mechanical buildings, and one office building, with a total area of 1.6 million square feet, slightly smaller than the originally planned 1.8 million.

Concerns were raised about the environmental review process, with some attendees arguing that it was moving too quickly. Google representatives countered that they are conducting an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR), which is a thorough and detailed evaluation similar to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The data center will provide computing services for Minnesotans, including Google Search, Google apps, and AI technologies. According to Tyler Huebner with Google, the area was chosen due to its proximity to reliable power infrastructure and easy access to municipal water and sewer service.