“What’s the Data on Data Centers?” seeks to educate on a growing industry

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The the Southcentral Minnesota Clean Energy Council is partnering with several community organization to educate the Mankato area about the impacts large scale data centers with a new event, “What’s the Data on Data Centers?”, on Saturday, July 25, at Grace Lutheran Church.

“The goal of the event is provide a space for education and also conversation about data center development in our communities. How it should happen, how it may happen, and make our voices heard,” said Sabri Fair, the Chair of the energy council.

The event is set to feature speakers with a variety of expertise including a worker with experience at a data center, community members who have witnessed their development in Pine Island and Hermantown and experts in hydrogeology, healthcare and environmental impacts.

It’s a conversation the energy council and other local organizations think is important in the Mankato area because of a recently announced year long moratorium for the industry so that city officials can become more informed.

“We could get to the end of these 12 months and the city council and community could not have done our homework in the best way possible, and so we’ll end up in the exact same space unless people get involved,” Fair said.

The event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church.

Space at the venue is limited so attendees are encouraged to pre-register on the event’s web page.

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