Northfield, in Rice County, Minnesota, adopted a data-center zoning exclusion on April 8, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is in force.
The record reads: "Northfield, Minnesota, highlighted as a potential model for data center regulation with the strictest environmental efficiency standards in the state, covering noise, lighting, building height, electricity use, air quality, heat… (datacentertracker.org)."
Details
| Action | Class | Status | Date | MW threshold | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning exclusion | restriction | in force | April 8, 2026 | not county-wide | datacentertracker.org |
Jurisdiction type: municipality. County: Rice County. Dataset: datacentertracker. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.
Elsewhere in Rice County
Minnesota context
Minnesota has 18 documented local actions across 18 jurisdictions in this snapshot. At the state level, the state has a ratepayer-protection law (enacted).
A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.