ST. PAUL, Minn.– Amid the growing need for off-grid energy solutions for data centers, Republican Senator Andrew Mathews (Princeton) recently introduced a bipartisan bill to support the development of data centers in the state of Minnesota. Senate File 1393 specifically ensures a less burdensome permitting path for energy needs of large data centers.

 

A recent article highlighted U.S. electricity load is growing nearly twice as fast as grid planners had originally estimated in 2022. Additionally, a report from the federal Department of Energy finds that data centers consumed 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and that is expected to grow almost 12% by 2028. Distributed power generators are growing in popularity as a solution to bridge the gap between power demands and grid capacity when it comes to data centers.  

 

Mathews’ bill clarifies that large data centers do not need a “certificate of need” from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission when installing emergency back-up generators that are not connected to the grid. Minnesota’s regulatory burdens slow data center growth and investment in the state and putting this clarification in law will help attract these investments to the state.  

 

“We are laying the groundwork to get these investments in our state,” Mathews said. “Right now, under outdated statutes, the Public Utilities Commission is required to regulate these off-grid, backup generators. My bill will simply update and clarify the law and ensure that these projects can move along without unnecessary regulatory hurdles. Our goal is to provide businesses with the confidence they need to invest in our state, increase job growth, and support our communities.” 

 

The bill was referred to the energy committee and is awaiting a hearing.