Minnesota Residents Mobilize: Data Centers Emerge as a Defining Election Issue
PINE ISLAND, Minn. – Driving down a quiet dirt road that hugs a vast expanse of farmland, Aubree Derksen articulates a sentiment shared by a growing number of Minnesotans: a feeling of being a modern-day David confronting a technological Goliath. Her…
The Digital Frontier: How Minnesota Courts Became the Last Stand Against Big Tech’s Data Centers
In the quiet, rolling farmlands of southeastern Minnesota, the hum of heavy machinery was supposed to have replaced the rustle of crops by mid-July. In Pine Island, local officials and developers had envisioned the rapid construction of a massive,…
Minnesota Residents Mount Bipartisan Opposition as Data Centers Emerge as Key Election Issue
PINE ISLAND, Minn. – Driving down a quiet dirt road that skirts a vast, fertile farm field, Aubree Derksen describes her struggle as a modern-day "David against Goliath." Her Goliath is Google, the global tech titan, collaborating with a…
The Silicon Stand-Off: Minnesota’s Battle Over Big Tech’s Massive Data Centers
In the quiet, rolling farmlands of southeastern Minnesota, the landscape was slated for a radical transformation this July. Pine Island, a town of approximately 4,000 residents, was prepared to break ground on a massive, hyperscale data center—a project…
Beyond the Heatwave: Can Polish Data Centers Become the Future of Urban Heating?
As Europe grapples with a brutal, record-breaking summer, the irony of discussing "heat recovery" is not lost on the residents of Wrocław. While the mercury climbs and citizens seek refuge in air-conditioned spaces, Polish property developer…
Minnesota Communities Mobilize: Data Centers Emerge as a Defining Election Issue
Pine Island, MN – Driving along a dusty rural road that bisects vast agricultural fields, Aubree Derksen describes her battle against Google as a modern-day "David against Goliath." Her "Goliath" is the tech titan, in partnership with…
The Silicon Stand-Off: How Minnesota’s Judicial System Became the Last Line of Defense Against Data Centers
Across the sprawling, sun-drenched fields of southeastern Minnesota, the hum of heavy machinery was supposed to have replaced the quiet rustle of corn and soy by mid-summer. In Pine Island, the local government and private developers had finalized plans…
Minnesota Communities Mobilize: Data Centers Emerge as Potent Election Issue Across the State
PINE ISLAND, MN – Along a quiet dirt road that meanders beside a vast expanse of farmland, Aubree Derksen articulates a sentiment shared by many residents across Minnesota: she feels like David facing Goliath. Her adversary is Google, the global tech…
The Digital Frontier: Minnesota’s Battle Over Hyperscale Data Centers Moves from Town Halls to Courtrooms
In the quiet, rolling farmland of Pine Island, Minnesota, the rhythmic hum of agricultural life was meant to be replaced this July by the roar of heavy machinery. City leaders and developers had finalized plans to transform hundreds of acres of open…
Shadows Over the Cubbies: How Minneapolis Child Care Centers Survive an Era of Uncertainty
This report was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. MINNEAPOLIS — On a frigid February afternoon, the routine at a Spanish-immersion child care center in…
