OP-ED SECOND SUBMISSION ELSEWHERE: Setting Statewide Standards for Minnesota’s Data Center Boom -- David M. Giese

On Wed, Nov 11, 2026 at 12:27 PM David Giese wrote:

SUBJECT: OP-ED SUBMISSION: Setting Statewide Standards for Minnesota’s Data Center Boom - David M. Giese

Dear Opinion Editor,

Please consider the below guest commentary for exclusive publication in the Minnesota Star Tribune.

As hyperscale data center proposals surge across Minnesota—led by a massive 500-to-600 megawatt proposal near Duluth—true oversight shifts from local town halls to state regulators at the DNR and MPCA. Drawing on my 40.5 years in enterprise healthcare IT operations (including 12 years managing enterprise data center infrastructure), I detail the crucial engineering standards state agencies must mandate regarding Great Lakes Compact water loss, low-frequency noise thresholds, and anti-PFAS chemical safety.

This piece is submitted exclusively to the Minnesota Star Tribune and has not been published elsewhere.

Sincerely,

David M. Giese

SUBMISSION TYPE: Guest Op-Ed / Commentary

WORD COUNT: 645 words

EXCLUSIVITY: Exclusive to the Minnesota Star Tribune

Setting Statewide Standards for Minnesota’s Data Center Boom

Minnesota is on the cusp of a massive digital infrastructure expansion. Across the state, energy-intensive hyperscale data centers are seeking local approvals. But local municipal rezonings simply grant permission to seek state authorization. True long-term oversight now rests with state regulators at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

Having spent 40.5 years in healthcare IT operations—including 12 years managing enterprise data center power and thermal infrastructure—I know these facilities from the inside. A continuous 500-to-600 megawatt electrical draw equals the baseload power needed to run a city larger than Minneapolis around the clock. While these facilities are vital engines of our modern economy, their industrial-scale utility loads require clear, enforceable state engineering standards before ground is broken.

The proposed campus in the Duluth metro is the first test case of this new era. While the developer plans to use municipal water rather than local wells, relying on standard evaporative cooling towers creates a critical statewide issue: permanent consumptive water loss.

Under Minnesota rules implementing the Great Lakes Compact, large industrial users must minimize consumptive losses whenever technically feasible alternatives exist. Evaporative cooling towers continuously evaporate millions of gallons of water daily into the atmosphere. The DNR should establish 100% closed-loop dry cooling as a mandatory permit condition for all hyperscale facilities statewide. Dry cooling costs more upfront, but its air-cooled heat exchangers completely eliminate municipal water strain and watershed depletion.

Equally critical is controlling environmental noise pollution. Enterprise data centers operate continuously 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Standard municipal decibel scales (dBA) filter out low-frequency noise, masking the continuous 30-to-100 Hz hum produced by industrial chillers, step-down transformers, and massive fan arrays. This low-frequency acoustic energy travels long distances and easily penetrates residential structures.

To protect public health and quality of life under Minnesota Rules Chapter 7030, the MPCA must establish an enforceable 47 dBC low-frequency noise threshold measured at property boundaries. Proven engineering solutions—such as sound-attenuated transformer vaults, low-RPM fan arrays, and structural perimeter barriers—must be integrated into initial site layouts rather than retrofitted after complaints begin.

Environmental safety also demands rigorous chemical scrutiny. High-density server halls rely on synthetic dielectric cooling fluids and gaseous fire-suppression systems. Under Minnesota’s landmark anti-PFAS statute (Amara’s Law), the MPCA must require full chemical disclosure of all dielectric coolants, suppressants, and transformer oils, while mandating baseline groundwater testing, secondary containment, and non-PFAS alternatives.

Finally, state permits should require a developer-funded decommissioning escrow bond to guarantee complete site restoration if a facility ever faces technological obsolescence or abandonment.

As state agencies open public comment windows, our focus must stay constructive. There is good to be found in this tech expansion, but it won't come from cutting environmental corners—it comes from insisting on high-density digital infrastructure that coexists responsibly with our natural resources.

David M. Giese

Rice Lake, MN

The author is a retired Healthcare IT & Data Center Operations Lead with 40.5 years of industry experience.

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FOR EDITORIAL VERIFICATION ONLY (NOT FOR PUBLICATION):

Author Name: David M. Giese

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City, State, Zip: Rice Lake, MN 

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Primary Occupation/Bio: Retired Healthcare IT & Data Center Operations Lead