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County land manager outlines potential benefits and concerns of data centers

Watonwan County Board of Commissioners · July 7, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Watonwan County’s Land Management Director presented research on data centers, flagging concerns about energy and water use, infrastructure demand, noise, land use, limited long-term employment, and environmental impacts.

Land Management Director David Haler briefed the Board on research he compiled about data centers, drawing examples from other counties and states. Haler highlighted potential benefits of attracting data centers but emphasized concerns including energy and water use, infrastructure demands, noise, land-use impacts, limited long-term employment, and environmental consequences.

Commissioners asked questions about the implications for county infrastructure and services; Haler responded and committed to further research as needed. No formal action was taken; the item was treated as informational and for future consideration when or if specific proposals arrive.