Google data center wins approval in Minnesota after protests delay council vote twice

Google cleared a major step toward building a data center in Hermantown, Minnesota, after the city council approved the plan unanimously on Friday, October 30, following two postponed meetings and hours of public opposition. The project would span just over 200 acres in a rural residential area outside Duluth and include three data center buildings totaling about 1.66 million square feet. The council approved a development agreement, a special use permit, and decommissioning provisions if construction is abandoned or the site later closes. Council member John Geisler said the vote was about local land use, not AI or “big tech.” Google also revised its proposal, reducing from four buildings to three, capping height at 33 feet, monitoring nearby private wells, and withdrawing up to $80 million in property tax break requests. The city expects about $3 million annually, with a separate decommissioning agreement valued at $210 million, though lawsuits and an electricity-supply inquiry remain.