The Minnesota State Patrol has implemented a Crash Foresight tool to assist in deploying officers where accidents and crashes are most likely to occur.

Capt. Adam Fulton, commander of the Brainerd State Patrol district, said the foresight tool uses AI to combine previous crash data with trooper patrols and traffic patterns to help predict where and when troopers need to patrol to make an impact.

When the program was getting off the ground, Fulton said it was first implemented in his district.

Fulton said the state is divided up into 11 districts and Crow Wing County falls under District 3 — where the tool started. The tool expanded to District 4, which includes the Detroit Lakes area, before spreading statewide. Currently, each district has at least one license to use the program.

Amazon is investing more than $1 billion over the next five years into communities where it operates data centers for education, job training, water and energy preservation projects and other local priorities as it reacts to a growing backlash from politicians and consumers to the tech industry’s rollout of the massive buildings.

According to a blog post on Friday by Matt Garman, Amazon’s CEO of its cloud computing arm, Amazon has already spent more than $1 billion in communities with a large data center presence over the past three years.

Garman also said that Amazon is no longer using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies it works with on its projects, and it said it hosts open houses in communities where it operates to share information about what it’s doing. He also warned against the spread of what he believes is misinformation about data centers’ impact on the environment and energy rates — and he cited the dangers of over 100 moratoriums against these centers being considered across the country.

 Like most cities, Pine Island has a host of issues on its plate. Housing growth, property taxes, zoning, street repair and improvement.

All of it pales in comparison to the data center, a proposed project that would bring tech giant Google to town in a development known as Project Skyway.

With the election coming Nov. 3, three positions — two on the city council, one for mayor — are on the ballot, and how Pine Island residents vote could determine whether the much-debated data center continues to move forward or sees the brakes pumped.

Six candidates — two for mayor, four for city council — are fairly evenly split over the data center issue.

Since Project Skyway first came before the Pine Island City Council in February 2025 with a vote for orderly annexation of land that would become the Project Skyway site, the council has voted 5-0 to move the project forward.

But with three of those five positions on the ballot, the anti-data center contingent, if it sweeps all the seats, could have enough seats on the council to generate 3-2 votes against the development.

AT&T users across parts of the US are reporting problems with internet and mobile services on Friday, October 2, 2026. Reports indicate that customers are facing disruptions with 5G Home Internet, broadband and mobile signals, with some users saying their services have been unavailable for several hours.

The outage appears to be affecting customers in multiple locations, including California, Louisiana and Minnesota. While the reports vary by location and service type, the growing number of complaints suggests that AT&T customers are experiencing connectivity problems in different parts of the country.

They have one specific report from MN…

A customer in Forest Lake, Minnesota, also reported having no service for several hours.

Candidates seeking two open seats on the North Mankato City Council gathered for a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of the St. Peter area ahead of the general election.

Seven of the eight candidates running for the two council seats attended the forum to address city issues including a recent data center moratorium, budget priorities, housing and immigration.

Candidates were first asked about the city’s recent 12 month data center moratorium, with all in attendance indicating support for the current council’s decision while agreeing that further study is necessary.

“I’m not terribly concerned about small data centers, because even if there are small data centers coming into our community, likely they will actually serve residents of our community,” said North Mankato City Council candidate Benton Bakke.

Candidates agreed that additional time is required before moving forward.

North Mankato City Council candidate Bridget Quinton said, “So there is a lot of things that still need to be reviewed, discussed, found out, so I think that the year is the minimum amount of time that we’re going to need to look into this,”

A bill aimed at protecting utility customers from data-center costs has stalled in the U.S. Senate.

Wednesday’s vote was 57–43, short of the 60 votes needed to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act.

The proposal would require utility regulators to consider standards making large power users cover the infrastructure costs needed to serve them. Opponents argue those provisions are too weak.

North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer supported the measure. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar also voted yes, while Senator Tina Smith voted no.

With control of the Minnesota House potentially hanging in the balance, Republican incumbent Natalie Zeleznikar and Democratic-Farmer-Labor challenger Aaron Schweiger laid out starkly different visions for the future of House District 3B during a candidate forum Tuesday evening.

The district, which includes Hermantown, Proctor, Two Harbors, and portions of Duluth, has become one of the state’s most closely watched legislative battlegrounds. Zeleznikar has won two consecutive elections by narrow margins, making this year’s contest another highly competitive race.

Data centers were a hot topic…

One of the evening’s most heavily discussed topics was the proposed Google data center development in Hermantown, an issue that has drawn significant attention across the district.

Both candidates agreed additional oversight measures should be considered for future large-scale data center projects.

Zeleznikar pointed to legislation she has supported and introduced, including proposals aimed at increasing transparency by preventing public officials from entering certain non-disclosure agreements. She also emphasized the need to protect utility customers from bearing excessive costs associated with major developments.

According to Zeleznikar, lawmakers are likely to revisit the issue when the Legislature returns next year. She said discussions surrounding data centers are still evolving and that more policy work remains ahead.

Schweiger agreed existing regulations represent only an initial step. He said residents have voiced concerns about potential impacts on water resources, electric rates, and property taxes. He argued local communities should have a stronger voice in determining whether projects of that scale move forward.

Schweiger said any future economic development project should reflect the wishes of the community and ensure residents have meaningful input before major decisions are made.

Residents, officials debate data center compensation at MPR town hall

Minnesota Public Radio’s Kerri Miller stood tall, her microphone outstretched. Pine Island resident Reverend David Derksen sat in front of her wearing a red T-shirt reading, “stop the Pine Island data center.”

“What about making (the data centers) pay?,” Lake asked him.

“Do they pay enough to compensate us for poisoned water?,” Derksen asked back as the crowd applauded. “It’s not all about money, and these things are not being addressed.”

Tensions flared as residents from Faribault, and other communities impacted by data center developments, sat down for a town hall with Rural Voice Tuesday evening, to be aired on MPR. Rural Voice organizes town halls across Southern Minnesota, aiming to shine a light on rural communities and the issues they face daily.

Miller said the conversation was meant to cut through the noise surrounding data center developments, both the techno-optimism from advocates, and the fear-driven rhetoric that accompanies conversations around the projects. The conversation was not directly focused on Faribault’s Archer data center development specifically, Miller made it clear the purpose was to introduce and discuss data centers broadly as they continue to be developed and built across the country.

The conversation included community compensation, water concerns and more. The show will be broadcast soon on MPR.

AG’s Office notes costs may rise into ‘billions’ for Xcel ratepayers who are supposed to be insulated by law from all data center electricity costs

Xcel should also justify its many ‘trade secret’ redactions that cloud public understanding of data center’s potential rate impacts

AG’s Office submits initial comments to Public Utilities Commission in response to Xcel Energy’s request to approve agreement for electric service to Pine Island data center; under state law, Residential Utilities Division of AG’s Office advocates for individual and small-business ratepayers at PUC

October 1, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — The Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has submitted initial comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regarding an agreement (ESA) between Xcel Energy and Google to provide electric service to Google’s proposed Pine Island data center. The Attorney General’s Office argues that Xcel has not established that the Google ESA is reasonable, consistent with the public interest, or meets the stringent requirements of the applicable law. It further warns that ratepayers, who under Minnesota law are supposed to be insulated from all data center electricity costs, may in fact face billions of dollars of costs under the ESA between Xcel and Google.

There are two main reasons for this. First, Xcel has not shown that Google will pay all costs attributable to the data center during the ESA term. Second, Xcel has not shown that other customers will be protected from paying for stranded costs if Google reduces its demand or leaves Xcel’s system. The impact of these potential cost shifts to Xcel’s individual and small-business ratepayers could be in the billions of dollars.

In the initial comments, the Attorney General’s Office also expresses its concerns with the lack of transparency in the current PUC proceeding caused by Xcel’s redaction of information about the costs of serving Google, and Xcel’s failure to justify these redactions.

Risks to other ratepayers of data center cost shifts

Minnesota law requires that “all costs attributable to the utility’s very large customers” be assigned to those customers and not other ratepayers. This includes Minnesota households and small businesses. Yet the Google ESA, and Xcel’s current cost-allocation plans to the extent they are known, fail to comply with this requirement, leaving significant risk that other customers will be asked to cover Google’s costs. Although Xcel claims that Google will provide over $1.1 billion in net benefits to other ratepayers, the Attorney General’s Office’s analysis indicates that the value may be closer to $1 billion in net costs to other ratepayers.

The Attorney General’s Office argues that Xcel should take steps to supplement the record to ensure that all costs attributable to serving Google’s data center are born by Google, as the law requires.

Risks to other ratepayers of data center stranded costs

Minnesota law also requires that an ESA “contain[] protections necessary to ensure that other customers of the public utility are not placed at risk for paying stranded costs.” Stranded costs may occur when power plants and other utility infrastructure is built to serve data centers but becomes a burden on other ratepayers after a data center stops operating or reduces its electricity purchases.  The Google ESA as proposed would leave Xcel’s other ratepayers facing significant stranded-cost risks. Specifically, the Attorney General’s Office’s analysis shows that other ratepayers, including individuals and small businesses, could be on the hook for billions of dollars in incremental resource costs incurred to serve Google after the 15-year contract term ends. If Google were to terminate its contract early, the stranded cost risk would be even greater.

The Attorney General’s Office argues the PUC should not approve the ESA unless and until these risks are more fully mitigated and asks that Xcel provide additional information to help develop the record on the extent of these risks.

Concerns with lack of transparency

The PUC has recognized the critical importance of transparency in allowing the public to understand utilities’ plans for serving data centers and has adopted a requirement that Xcel file its ESA and supporting cost data publicly “to the greatest extent possible.” It also adopted a requirement that for any information not filed publicly, Xcel “provide specific explanations of why protected status is necessary and permitted under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.”

Electricity service to Google’s data center could have significant impacts on Xcel’s other ratepayers, including Minnesota households. Xcel has redacted almost all of the dollar amounts of these potential impacts, however, and has not provided specific explanations for some of its redactions. Members of the public and even some intervenors in the case do not have access to information that would allow for informed judgments on whether the Google ESA and Xcel’s related cost-allocation plans sufficiently protect ratepayers from cost shifting and stranded-asset risks. The unfortunate effect of Xcel’s many redactions is to hamper efficient review of the ESA and cloud the public’s understanding of the data center’s potential rate impacts on Minnesotans.

To facilitate a more robust review of this ESA petition, and to comply with the Commission’s order, the Attorney General’s Office argues Xcel should provide specific explanations of why protected status is necessary and permitted under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act for each part of the ESA petition and supporting cost data designated as trade secret. To the extent that Xcel’s review reveals any inappropriate designations, Xcel should refile its petition with those redactions removed.

Role of the Attorney General’s Office in advocating for individual and small-business utility ratepayers

Minnesota state law makes the Attorney General “responsible for representing and furthering the interests of residential and small business utility consumers through participation in matters before the Public Utilities Commission involving utility rates and adequacy of utility services to residential or small business utility consumers.” The Residential Utilities Division of the Attorney General’s Office fulfills this function on a full-time basis and prepared the initial comments.

Role of the PUC in considering public utilities’ agreements to provide electric service to ‘very large customers’ like data centers

In 2025, Minnesota passed legislation regulating data centers and, in particular, setting requirements for public utilities’ provision of electric service to “very large customers.”  The law provides that the PUC “may approve, modify or reject a tariff or electric service agreement proposed between a public utility and a very large customer.” In making this decision, the PUC must consider how best to achieve four outcomes: (1) that “all costs” attributable to very large customers are assigned to the very large customer class or subclass; (2) that the electricity provided to a very large customer meets the quantitative benchmarks of the state’s carbon-free electricity standards; (3) that the very-large-customer tariff or agreement “contains the provisions necessary to ensure” that other customers are not put at risk of paying for stranded costs; and (4) that the tariff or agreement is otherwise in the public interest.

Under Minnesota law, an electric service agreement between a public utility like Xcel and a very large customer like Google must meet stringent requirements designed to protect utility ratepayers from bearing costs caused by the very large customer. However, Xcel has neither demonstrated that the proposed ESA will protect other customers from cost shifting during Google’s term nor shown that other customers will be adequately protected from stranded cost risk if Google leaves the system.

The recommendations in the comments submitted to the PUC by the Residential Utilities Division of the Attorney General Ellison’s Office will help build a record on which the PUC can ensure that (1) all costs attributable to the data center are assigned to Google or the very large customer class and (2) other customers are not held responsible for Xcel’s stranded investments if Google uses less power than forecast or terminates its contract early. Providing the information will help build a record on which the Commission can decide whether the Google ESA meets the requirements of Minnesota law.

The Call for Speakers for Fiber Connect 2027 is now open. Fiber Connect 2027 is happening June 13–16 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center in Nashville, and the FBA Conference Committee is looking for subject-matter experts to join panels it has already developed across three programs:

• Pre-Conference Workshops: Building the AI-Ready Broadband Network, and Sales and Marketing Best Practices
• Breakout Sessions: Deployment Best Practices, Outside Plant, Funding Strategies, MDU, Permitting, Tribal Broadband, Business Grade Fiber, Go-to-Market, Grants and Public Funding, and Fiber Innovations
• Specialty Programs: Neocloud, Agentic AI and Telecom Operations, AI Edge Infrastructure, Hyperscale Ready Infrastructures, Advanced Energy Grid, Supply Chain, Economic Development & Impacts, and Community Anchors

Choose the topic that fits your expertise and tell us what you would bring to the conversation. The committee reviews each submission for subject-matter expertise, a unique point of view and relevant speaking experience. Content must be non-commercial, and network operators are strongly encouraged to apply.

Submissions close November 30, 2026.