Court Suspends Construction of Google's Giant Data Center in the USA Due to Environmental Risks
The large-scale project to build a Google data center in the state of Minnesota was suspended even before construction began.
As reported by The Minnesota Star Tribune, a judge temporarily banned work on the planned complex covering nearly 500 acres near the city of Pine Island. The reason was claims from critics who argue that the project has not yet undergone a sufficiently thorough environmental review.
Goodhue County District Court Judge Patrick Biren issued a temporary restraining order on May 29, halting the implementation of Project Skyway — a data center planned on nearly 500 acres about 29 kilometers north of Rochester.
The decision was made after the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) filed a lawsuit. The organization claims that Pine Island authorities used a simplified environmental assessment procedure that did not fully consider the project's potential impact.
"We need to know more about what happened behind the scenes because this environmental assessment was too vague," said MCEA's lead attorney Joy Anderson.
Environmentalists also claim that the site was presented as a future technology center, although city authorities and the developer Ryan Cos. knew that Google would be the user.
The delay could prove costly. According to Ryan Cos. representatives who spoke in court, postponing the start of construction, scheduled for July, could cost the company up to 5 million dollars while the court proceedings continue.
The biggest concern is the facility's energy consumption. The data center may require up to 2700 megawatts of electricity. Meanwhile, Pine Island officials assure that the project will not lead to increased electricity rates for local residents.
The temporary court injunction maintains the current status quo during the lawsuit review and document analysis. This gives opponents of the project the opportunity to demand a more detailed environmental assessment before construction begins.
Google and project supporters emphasize planned measures to mitigate environmental impact. According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, the company announced support for a large-scale expansion of Minnesota's clean energy system through the utility Xcel Energy, including the introduction of 1400 megawatts of wind generation and an additional 200 megawatts of solar energy.
City authorities and developers also claim that the project will exceed local green space requirements and bring tens of millions of dollars in revenue to the region.
At the same time, environmentalists insist that a project of this scale requires especially thorough scrutiny and legal enforcement of Google's environmental commitments.
"This will be a truly huge facility. It is critically important for us to know exactly what will happen when a 2700-megawatt complex is built," said Joy Anderson.
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