Google's plan to build a $600 million data center in the central Minnesota city of Becker is drawing support from both renewable energy advocates and local government officials fretting the impending closure of a large, coal-fired power plant.
Google proposes to build the 375,000-square-foot data center on roughly 300 acres owned by Xcel Energy next to the Sherburne County Generating Station, the largest coal-burning plant in the Upper Midwest. Xcel will retire two of Sherco's three generators in the next seven years.
Google is working with Xcel to ensure that electricity used to power the data center will come from renewable sources. Meanwhile, Google officials await word on what state and local tax breaks they could get for the project.
A test of community support will come soon, with Google's request for Sherburne County and the city of Becker to waive 20 years' worth of future taxes resulting from the site's increased property value after it builds the data center.
