Wright County supervisors form energy, utility and data‑center work group

Supervisors unanimously approved forming a Wright County energy, utility and data‑center work group to gather facts and prepare for public engagement if data‑center proposals come forward.

"There's gonna be a lot of public talk if someone does come in and starts requesting about putting a data center in Wright County, and we probably should be prepared for having the facts," a supervisor said when proposing the group. The proposal called for participation by economic development staff, a Prairie Energy representative (if available) and supervisor appointees, with meeting cadence every two weeks initially.

Board members discussed membership and scope: one supervisor said they wanted two supervisors on the group "so that it's more of a committee," and others supported early, frequent meetings to collect information about impacts, water use, energy needs and community concerns. The board agreed staff would return with names, and volunteers among supervisors were recorded.

The motion to form the work group carried with all ayes. The group is intended to centralize information about battery energy storage systems, wind turbines and data‑center proposals and to provide a consistent channel for public information and staff recommendations.