A recent survey showed that almost two-thirds of Minnesotans opposed the construction of data centers in their communities. That hasn't stopped Tafoya from championing new data centers and dismissing voter concerns. Tafoya claimed that data centers were “going to have” to be built and should just be “accepted.” This blatant disregard for concerned Minnesota citizens comes as study after study shows the community harms of data centers, ranging from health risks to higher energy costs for everyday Minnesotans.
[AUDIO] Tafoya Said “Let’s Hold Off On” Trying To Make The Bogeyman Out Of AI. “You know, it's interesting. It's when the phrase was coined, it's the economy, stupid. Who knew that that phrase would persist for years and years? But it really comes down to people's pocketbooks first and foremost. And I'm thrilled to see so many countries investing in the United States of America and bringing dollars back here. And, you know, we're trying to make the bogeyman out of A.I. Let's hold off on that. Let's have those robust debates about A.I. and about data centers. If we want the Internet to be as fast as everyone wants it to be. We're going to need data centers. So the economy is number one, I think, for everyone.” [Sunday Take, 5/10/26]
Tafoya Noted Her Support For Data Centers, And Said “If We Like Our Internet, We’re Going To Have To Accept A Couple Of Data Centers.” According to the Bemidji Pioneer, “Before the event ended, she also noted her support for data centers. ‘If we like our internet, we're going to have to accept a couple of data centers,’ Tafoya said, ‘and I hope they'll be built where no one has to look at them and plant a bunch of trees around them so they'll be hidden.’” [Bemidji Pioneer, 5/19/26]
Minnesotans Held Strong Opposition To New Data Center Construction. According to KSTP, “Data centers continue to concern Minnesotans to the point that most oppose new construction of them in the state. Results of a new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll indicate that Minnesotans’ hesitancy toward data centers stems from concerns about the centers’ impact on resources, costs and even just an overall apprehension with artificial intelligence (AI). […] Several Minnesota cities have enacted moratoriums on the construction of new data centers, and poll results show that is by popular demand. Of the 1,675 respondents, only 27% support the construction of a new data center in their area; 60% oppose, including 38% ‘strongly’ opposing.” [KSTP, 7/24/26]
Data Centers Contributed To Higher Energy Bills For Consumers. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, “As data centers expand nationwide, utilities are receiving hundreds of gigawatts in interconnection requests, necessitating significant infrastructure investments. Natural gas power plants are being built and existing coal power plants are being propped up to meet the surging demand from data centers. Electricity bills are spiking for many households, contributing to an affordability crisis, particularly for the most vulnerable communities.” [EESI, 2/24/26]
Data Centers Harmed Local Air And Water Quality. According to the Sierra Club, “Beyond dirty power plants, Data centers intensify air pollution in the communities that house them. All data centers in Virginia come with large concentrations of shipping container sized diesel generators on-site. Why is this a problem? These machines leak a multitude of toxic chemicals like Benzene and Arsenic that cause chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma and life threatening conditions like cancer. There are virtually no restrictions on the locations of data centers. This poses an enormous health threat to communities like schools, neighborhoods, and population centers that reside within a few miles away. […] There are virtually no restrictions on how much water one data center can consume. Some of the largest data center campuses consume as much as 1-5 million gallons of water per day.” [Sierra Club, 8/13/26]