We’ve been getting many questions from community members about possible data center projects. We hope this FAQ helps you better understand the environmental review process, how it is being used for data centers, and your role.

Environmental organization CURE is asking the Public Utilities Commission to investigate the Minnesota Power sale further, given new information about data centers in the region.

In 2023, Minnesota passed landmark legislation that commits its energy system to running on “carbon free” electricity by the year 2040. The legislation contains compromises and “off ramps” for small utilities should they have a hard time complying, but the essential definition of “carbon free” is very clear: “‘Carbon-free’ means a technology that generates electricity […]

The breach in Aitkin County was one of four discovered in Minnesota.

The rule, which went into effect on Christmas Eve, defines the meaning of a postmark, the date printed or stamped on most mailed items.

Revelations about undisclosed data center project in utility’s territory raises community concerns  On December 30, 2025, CURE formally petitioned the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reassess its approval of the sale of ALLETE, the parent company of Minnesota Power, to two private equity investors—the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP/BackRock), a subsidiary of BlackRock, the world’s […]

Minnesota Women’s Press hosted a November forum with five experts about hyperscale data centers planned in cities around the state. They shared their insights about Minnesota’s water quantity, the environmental review process, and concerns around lack of transparency in decision-making. This is

While peatlands occupy just 3% of Earth's land surface, scientists say they store about 30% of the planet's land-based carbon. That's more than double held by the world's forests, according to the Nature Conservancy.

A Detroit Lakes cooperative weathered federal grant uncertainty to shore up local food networks in its “boot-strappy, grassroots” endeavor.

Tuesday’s blizzard sent semitrucks and other vehicles into ditches and into each other.

Be in the Know: Data Centers Webinar Series  Hyperscale data centers are a major concern for Minnesotans. CURE’s Data Center webinar series will help you get up to speed on key issues, including Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs), energy, water, environmental review, community benefit agreements, and more, so you can speak up for yourself and your neighbors. […]

"As millennials enter midlife, many face one of the most insidious hazards of aging: Sudden Onset Birding, or SOB," columnist Aaron Brown writes.