Google Hermantown Data Center
Hermantown, St. Louis County, MNDeveloper: Google
Also known as Project Loon
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
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Google has proposed a data center campus in the southwest corner of Hermantown, Minnesota, near Duluth, with an AUAR study area of 278 acres; in August 2026 the plan was scaled back from four data center buildings to three and from 1.8 million to 1.66 million square feet. The City Council tabled a vote on tax abatement and development agreements in May 2026, and the city submitted an updated AUAR to the Environmental Quality Board on August 4, 2026. Two lawsuits have been filed against the city over the project, including an environmental review challenge by MCEA and Stop the Hermantown Data Center that was put on hold while the AUAR was updated.
- Water use
- 50,000 gal/day
- or less once fully built out
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Planned capacity | 300-600 [9] expected range of power capacity Source excerpt“The power capacity of the Hermantown data center is expected to range between 300 and 600 megawatts.” |
|---|---|
| Site size | 278 acres [1] AUAR study area, 26 parcels Source excerpt“The AUAR study area includes 26 parcels totaling 278 acres in Hermantown's southwest corner.” |
| Floor area | 1,660,000 sq ft [9] scaled back from an initial 1.8 million square feet Source excerpt“The initial 1.8 million square-foot campus planned for Hermantown is now expected to be 1.66 million square feet, shrinking from four data center buildings to three, reducing the amount of disturbed wetlands and land.” |
| Buildings | 3 [8] reduced from four data center buildings in August 2026 Source excerpt“The company has scaled down the size of its proposal slightly, and is now planning three giant buildings to hold all the computing equipment rather than four.” |
| Stated investment | $650 million [5] first phase, under the proposed agreements Source excerpt“Under the terms of the proposed agreements, Google is expected to spend $650 million on the project's first phase.” |
| Stated investment | $2 billion [5] total investment 'in the ballpark of $2 billion' over three phases and eight to 10 years, per the city Source excerpt“The city expects three total phases would be built out over a period of eight to 10 years, with a total investment in the ballpark of $2 billion.” |
| Permanent jobs (promised) | 40 [1] at least 40 full-time jobs tied to the first building Source excerpt“There will be at least 40 full-time positions associated with the initial building, all paying wages higher than the current county average.” |
How big is that? Data center sizes compared with football fields and Central Park.
Power
| Utility | Minnesota Power [1] Utility pages: Minnesota Power · data centers and bills site is adjacent to the Arrowhead Substation, built by Minnesota Power in the 1970s Source excerpt“This location is directly adjacent to the Arrowhead Substation that was constructed by Minnesota Power in the 1970s.” |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Minnesota Power to build 700 MW of new clean energy sources, including 300 MW of wind and 400 MW of battery storage [7]Source excerpt“For the Hermantown facility, Google has reached an agreement with Duluth-based utility Minnesota Power to build 700 megawatts of new clean energy sources to provide electricity for the massive development, including 300 megawatts of wind energy and 400 megawatts of battery storage capability.” |
Water
| Water use | 50,000 gal/day [1] or less once fully built out Source excerpt“the campus will use 50,000 gallons of water per day or less once it is fully built out.” |
|---|---|
| Cooling | no water used for cooling [1] per City of Hermantown Source excerpt“This project will not use water for cooling purposes.” |
| Cooling | air cooling or closed-loop design under consideration [7] options Google was considering as of June 2026 Source excerpt“The company is looking at two options to cool the Hermantown facility– air cooling and a closed-loop design that recirculates water– both of which require minimal amounts of water.” |
Money & incentives
| Tax incentives | Property tax abatement estimated at about $70 million, possibly as high as $80 million [5]Source excerpt“In return for the property tax relief — estimated at about $70 million, but which could be as high as $80 million — Google is offering to pay about $130 million to extend utilities and infrastructure to the project site.” |
|---|---|
| Payments / community benefits | Proposal includes $40 million over 28 years for Hermantown's school district and $130 million in public infrastructure [6]Source excerpt“Google's proposal includes $40 million contributed to Hermantown's school district over 28 years, and $130 million invested into the public infrastructure needed for the campus build-out, which is expected to be done in four phases.” |
| Payments / community benefits | About $70 million over 28 years would go to Hermantown schools [8] as reported in August 2026 Source excerpt“Hermantown schools would receive around $70 million over 28 years.” |
Local decisions & site
| Deciding vote | Hermantown City Council voted unanimously to table the vote after about three hours of public comment (May 2026) [5]Source excerpt“After about three hours of public comment, councilors voted unanimously to table the vote until a later date.” |
|---|
Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Water and power
Water
- up to 50,000 gallons per day [1]Projection or estimate. Campus use once fully built out, as stated on the city project page.As of Oct 15, 2026 · Project - City of Hermantown
Disclosed figures only, each as the cited source states it. Many are projections or permit limits, not metered use. How data center water and power use is measured, and every disclosed figure →
Community concerns
Concerns are listed as the cited public sources report them (meeting minutes, dockets, filed cases, official statements and news). They are raised, not validated, and a response is shown beside a concern only where a source reports one. All community concerns →
Water
- Residents raised concerns about effects on well water, trout streams and wetlands, and that well monitoring was not in the original development agreement.
Raised by: residents at public meeting · Sep 21, 2026 · Source: Northern News NowResponse from Google: Google said it is adding monitoring wells, reduced wetland impacts by 37 percent, and is creating a decommissioning agreement. Sep 21, 2026 · Source: Northern News Now
Transparency and NDAs
- The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy said public-records requests show the city knew the project was a data center for over a year before the public was told.
Raised by: organization (Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy) · Nov 5, 2025 · Source: KAXEResponse from Google: A Google representative said NDAs let developers be open with local officials early and that the company goes public as soon as it has commercial certainty. May 20, 2026 · Source: KAXE
Environment and wildlife
- Two groups, including the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, sued over the city's environmental review, arguing it does not adequately assess a site with sensitive natural features.
Raised by: lawsuit (Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy) · Nov 5, 2025 · Source: KAXEResponse from City of Hermantown: The city's communications director said the city would conduct appropriate review and follow the legal process. Nov 5, 2025 · Source: KAXE
Something missing or wrong? Ask for a review. Posts on social media are never used as sources.
Lawsuits
| MCEA and Stop the Hermantown Data Center challenge to the city's environmental study | pending [4] The plaintiffs agreed to pause the lawsuit while the city finished work on an updated AUAR. Source excerpt“MCEA and Stop the Hermantown Data Center agreed to put the lawsuit on hold while the City completed the updated AUAR.” |
|---|---|
| Stop the Hermantown Data Center lawsuit over comprehensive plan and rezoning | pending [10] The group claims the city improperly rezoned the neighborhood slated for the data center and amended its 2045 comprehensive plan so the project could proceed. St. Louis County District Court · filed Apr 29, 2026 Source excerpt“The group claims the city of Hermantown improperly changed its 2045 comprehensive plan and rezoned the neighborhood where the data center is proposed to be built to allow the controversial project to move forward.” |
Timeline
Environmental Quality Board receives a petition requesting an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the project [1]
MCEA and Stop the Hermantown Data Center appeal the City of Hermantown's environmental study [3]
Google announces plans for the Hermantown data center [1]
Stop the Hermantown Data Center files a lawsuit in St. Louis County District Court [10]
City Council tables the resolution on the tax abatement and development agreements after a public hearing [1]
Google scales back the proposal from four data center buildings to three [9]
City of Hermantown submits the updated AUAR to the Environmental Quality Board [1]
City Council unanimously approves up to $20,000 for a consultant to guide discussions with tribal governments on the proposal [11]
At a Hermantown City Council meeting, Google says its changes include monitoring wells and a 37 percent reduction in wetland impacts, and that it is creating a decommissioning agreement in case the site becomes obsolete [12]
Google tells the City Council that a labor memorandum of understanding for the project has been reached between Mortenson, its developer, and the Duluth Building Trades [14]
Issues raised
- Stop the Hermantown Data Center says the site includes trout streams, wetland, watershed and floodplains [2]
- MCEA says the city knew for over a year that the project was a data center but kept it secret until September 2025; officials were scrutinized for signing nondisclosure agreements [2]
- Officials say the 50,000 gallons a day in the proposed development agreement is a maximum intended for worker sanitation and emergency fire suppression [6]
- Google says it will add monitoring wells, reduce wetland impacts by 37 percent, create a decommissioning agreement and donate $2.5 million to local grants and nonprofits [12]
- The city opened an internal investigation in August 2026 after disparaging remarks about data center opponents were leaked [12]
- The city says Google chose Hermantown because of the region's climate, work force and Minnesota Power's grid [13]
Issues are concerns and claims raised by the parties, officials or residents named in the cited sources. They are reported as attributed, not as findings by the Census.
Sources
- Project - City of HermantownCity of Hermantown · government
- Environmental groups sue Hermantown over data center review processKAXE · Nov 5, 2025 · news
- RELEASE: Hermantown Data Center Environmental Study AppealedMinnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy · Nov 5, 2025 · other
- Legal updates on MCEA's data center casesMinnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy · May 15, 2026 · other
- Hermantown tables vote on key agreements for contentious Google data centerMPR News · May 5, 2026 · news
- More details emerge as Google, Hermantown work out data center agreementsKAXE · May 20, 2026 · news
- At packed Hermantown open house, Google tries to ease data center concernsMPR News · Jun 25, 2026 · news
- Google launches a charm offensive in 2 Minnesota towns as data center opposition growsMPR News · Aug 20, 2026 · news
- Google scales back proposed data center in northeast MinnesotaRed Lake Nation News (republished from the Minnesota Star Tribune) · Aug 21, 2026 · news
- Citizens' group files lawsuit to block Google's proposed Hermantown data centerMPR News · Apr 29, 2026 · news
- Heated data center debate results in pause to Hermantown city council meetingNorthern News Now · Sep 8, 2026 · news
- Hermantown enforces meeting decorum as Google addresses environmental concerns with proposed data centerNorthern News Now · Sep 21, 2026 · news
- Google Announces Plans for Hermantown Data CenterCity of Hermantown · Mar 3, 2026 · government
- Google shares labor agreement update on proposed Hermantown Data CenterFOX 21 (KQDS) · Sep 21, 2026 · news
Cite this page
Last updated Sep 24, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.
| APA | Data Center Census. (2026). Google Hermantown Data Center. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/dc/google-hermantown-mn |
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| MLA | “Google Hermantown Data Center.” Data Center Census, Sep 24, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/dc/google-hermantown-mn. |
| Link | https://datacentercensus.com/dc/google-hermantown-mn |
Republishing a figure or table? Attribute it to Data Center Census with a link to this page. The underlying data is downloadable as JSON and CSV; the press kit has standing figures and contact details.