Lakeville Green Coalition

Lakeville, MN — Community Alert

Protect Our Community
From Hyperscale Data Centers

A proposed hyperscale data center threatens our water, air, health, and quality of life. Get the facts. Make your voice heard.

Take Action Now Learn the Facts

Who We Are

A Bipartisan Community Coalition

We are a bipartisan group of Lakeville residents working to provide information on environmental concerns that will affect your quality of life. We are working together to create a more sustainable and economically vibrant community by providing educational resources and the actions you can take to make your voice heard.

Our current focus is hyperscale data centers — and a proposal that could permanently alter our community's environment, health, and economy.

The Issue

What Is a Hyperscale Data Center — and Why Should You Care?

Not all data centers are the same. The scale of what's being proposed for Lakeville is dramatically different from what most people imagine.

🏢

Enterprise Data Center

A company owns and operates it for their own data and cloud computing needs. Typically 5,000–20,000 sq ft, drawing up to 10 MW of power.

🏬

Colocation Center

An owner leases space to multiple businesses. Can be enterprise or hyperscale scale. Shared infrastructure, multiple tenants.

⚠️

Hyperscale Data Center

Built by major tech companies for AI, crypto, and surveillance. 20,000–100,000+ sq ft, housing at least 5,000 servers, drawing around 100 MW — ten times a standard enterprise center.

This is what is being proposed for Lakeville.

Why Is Lakeville a Target?

  • Direct access to interstate and a growing industrial zone
  • Current "light industrial" zoning was written for enterprise-scale centers — developers exploit it to bypass scrutiny of hyperscale projects
  • Use of AUARs (Alternative Urban Areawide Reviews) at the concept-plan stage shortcircuits the full Environmental Impact Study that a project this size requires
  • Developer pitch: "Data centers are inevitable — get on board now and $$benefit your city." This is a pressure tactic, not a community benefit

Who Is Behind the Hyperscale Push?

Major tech companies are in a race to build the biggest and cheapest data infrastructure possible. They identify communities with favorable zoning, cheap land, available power, and water — then move quickly before residents understand what's coming.

The Full Picture

Environmental, Health & Economic Concerns

The impacts of a hyperscale data center reach into every corner of community life.

🌿 Environmental

  • Water contamination: "Closed loop" cooling systems release PFAS ("forever chemicals") into the water table during regular flushing
  • Power grid strain: 100 MW continuous draw stresses regional infrastructure
  • Noise pollution: Constant industrial noise from construction and 24/7/365 operation
  • Air quality: Degradation from generators and increased traffic
  • Heat island effect: Massive heat output changes local microclimate
  • Light pollution: High-intensity security lighting runs all day, every day
  • Evaporation: Enormous cooling water consumption removed from the local water cycle
  • ~100 backup generators: Diesel or natural gas, tested regularly, with massive fuel storage tanks on-site
  • No real oversight: Insufficient monitoring and enforcement of water and electricity consumption; self-monitoring is not acceptable
  • Infrastructure damage: Roads destroyed by heavy construction vehicles; housing and food supply strained (boom-town effect)
  • Wildlife impacts: Low-frequency sound disrupts migration and reproduction of local species

🏥 Health Effects on Residents

  • Respiratory illness and increased asthma rates
  • Reproductive health issues
  • Increased health problems in children
  • Insomnia from light and sound pollution running 24/7/365
  • Increased cancer risk

💰 Economic Reality

  • Your utility bills will rise — households absorb rapid cost increases while the company enjoys tax breaks
  • Well owners at risk: Pressure loss and contamination repaired at your own expense
  • Jobs are a myth: Most construction jobs are temporary and brought in from outside the area. Once operational, centers create only 50–200 permanent jobs at the largest facilities
  • Stranded asset: When obsolete — possibly within a few years as technology evolves — the building is a unusable shell that generates no income and cannot serve any other industry
  • Home values: Proximity to a hyperscale industrial facility decreases property values

Your Voice Matters

What You Can Do Right Now

You have a voice in your community's future. Here's how to use it.

1

Talk to Your Neighbors

Share what you've learned about hyperscale data centers. Download and print our info sheet to share at community events.

2

Attend City Meetings

Go to Lakeville City Council and Planning Committee meetings. Public comment is your most direct line to decision-makers.

Find Meeting Dates →
3

Take the 2050 Survey

Lakeville is collecting input on its 2050 city development plan. Take the survey and make sure your priorities are on record.

4

Support the Moratorium

We are proposing a one-year moratorium on data center approvals to give the community time for proper study and input.

Petition link coming soon

Learn More

Resources & Links

Vetted resources from national organizations, researchers, and journalists covering the data center issue.

Videos

Research & Articles

Organizations & Tools

Community Templates