Senate energy committee recommends passage of Minnesota data center bill to Senate floor

The Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate Committee voted Monday, April 28, 2025, to recommend passage of Senate File 1393 — described during the hearing as a "data center bill" — and sent the amended measure to the full Minnesota Senate.

Committee business opened at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1150 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The committee chair said the measure had previously been sent to the Environment Committee and had been returned; the chair said it was his intention to move the bill to the floor after receiving it back.

Senator Matthews, speaking during the committee meeting, said stakeholders were still working through details. "I'm continuing to talk with, excuse me, continuing to talk with stakeholders on this. Sounds like they're getting close in their conversations and discussions with everyone," Matthews said.

Senator Matthews moved that "Senate File 1393 as amended be recommended to pass and sent to the floor of the Minnesota Senate." The motion was adopted by voice vote; the chair announced, "The motion is adopted." The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.

Committee members and the chair characterized the bill as requiring "additional work," but did not specify changes or introduce amendments on the record during the session. No funding amounts, technical details of regulation, or specific substantive provisions of the bill were discussed in the transcript excerpt.

With the committee's recommendation, SF 1393 will be placed on the Senate floor calendar for further consideration. The committee did not announce a floor calendar date during the meeting. The chair adjourned the committee after the vote.

Votes at a glance: Senate File 1393 (data center bill) — motion to recommend passage as amended: mover Senator Matthews; outcome: recommended to pass and sent to the floor (voice vote; adopted).