Data centers can be built responsibly

People really hate data centers. There’s no sugarcoating it — they’ve become one of the most politically toxic issues in the midterm elections, with the governors of previously data center-friendly states like Texas and Pennsylvania lining up as the latest to show their opposition. But if we build them right, there is an opportunity here that Minnesota should embrace. 

There has been a lot of discussion about why, but the reasons mostly boil down to concerns about the facilities themselves, from water and electricity usage to noise, and bigger issues with the rapid advance of artificial intelligence and the people who control it, many of whom seem to care very little about potential job losses and societal upheaval. As someone who believes AI will lead to many e...