Hastings is putting the brakes on data centers before one even lands there. The City Council approved the first reading of a proposed one-year moratorium Monday, opening a study period on an industry that promises new tax revenue and jobs but has sparked complaints elsewhere about power use, noise and emissions.
Under the proposal, Hastings would temporarily halt all data center projects while staff examine long-term infrastructure and energy impacts and figure out how the facilities should be defined in city code, according to a Pioneer Press report. The council plans a public hearing and community comment period before a final vote at its third-Monday meeting in August.
That makes this more of a zoning-and-planning timeout than a reaction to a shovel-ready project. Community Development Director John Hinzman said Hastings has no pending data center projects, has received no recent interest and lacks the open acreage needed for a hyperscale facility; he also said the city’s “ability to evaluate future data center impacts is limited,” as reported by the Pioneer Press.
Minnesota’s Data Center Debate Is Spreading
Hastings is joining a growing list of Minnesota communities trying to get rules in place before developers arrive. Eagan approved a one-year pause in February, while Minneapolis approved a five-month halt in June as officials studied environmental, energy and public-safety concerns, according to FOX 9 and CBS Minnesota. Wright County also approved an emergency moratorium in May for data center applications in county townships after residents raised concerns about water, electricity, noise, light pollution and environmental impacts, the Wright County Board said…