What does a federal funding freeze mean for Minnesota? We really need to get a handle on how this directly affects us, services we depend on, funding for local projects, because we’re gong to be hit hard and need to get to work to deal with this. From a new state website on Federal Funding Disruptions, the state budget, and about a third of our budget is federal:

Federal funding to state CANCELED (some affected by funding restraining order):

Funding at risk — LOOK HOW MUCH OF IT IS FEMA:

Here’s the list of federally funded IIJA – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act/IRA – Inflation Reduction Act/CHIPS – CHIPS and Science Act Funds (Committed or Spent) for projects in Goodhue County (I think that bulkhead on the 3rd line was discussed at last night’s Council meeting):

For some reason I though it’d be good to get a passport card, in addition to my passport. Color me paranoid, but it couldn’t hurt to have it, sort of like my International Drivers Permit for driving around Norway. And it’s a LOT easier than that TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) card was to get, what a hassle — it was even hard to get past the locked door and the armed guard into the office.

Here’s the WEBSITE with directions and go there for the correct form to fill out:

If you have a passport, just need a drivers’ license, ORIGINAL/CERTIFIED birth certificate, and your passport.

Here in Goodhue County, we can get this done at the courthouse, including the photo, by setting up appointment at the Recorder’s Office. Do call, I was told they’ve been VERY busy lately. And YES, you DO NEED all your documentation of a name change, so if you’ve changed your name, ask what all is needed. Good thing I at least had some sense about that circa 1974 when I got married!! WHEW!

Goodhue County’s Passport page Call 651-385-3223 or 651-385-3231

For the rest of you, check with your County Recorder or Post Office or see if there’s an office open near you HERE. Another option is FedEx!

The woman who helped me as very helpful, walked me right to the form page, and seemed to want to make it as easy as possible — unlike our current administration.

The City of Cannon Falls is in the midst of an AUAR. OK, I’ll bite, what’s an AUAR?

Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) Process

There’s also some general Data Center background info down below in this post.

The Cannon Falls AUAR is for an area where there’s a data center proposed, bounded by that red line. Off to the right, see that substation? To the east/right of that is the Cannon Falls Energy Center, a natural gas electrical generating plant.

Cannon Falls has been marketing this for quire some time — this link is from 2018:

Cannon Falls Industrial Park West Data Center Site (Cannon Falls, MN)

Here’s the City of Cannon Falls page:

Cannon Falls Technology Park

Anticipated schedule? Mark your calendars for the “spring 2025” Comment Period for the DRAFT AUAR. From an article in the Cannon Falls Beacon about a joint work session of the Cannon Falls City Council and the Planning Commission:

I have some questions, so I fired off a missive to the City Administrator and the “info” email which goes to the project developer. City Administrator said he “won’t be able to answer my questions, however I appreciate your inquiry,” and forwarded it to the developers.

Here are my questions, well, a start:

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

CANNON FALLS COUNCIL CHAMBERS

APRIL 29 — THE TIME???

And on that note… an AUAR?? It’s deja vu all over again!

Here’s a Final AUAR for a Data Center near Hampton, at the intersection of Hwys 50 & 52, just released:

HAMPTON ORDER AND SCOPING DOCUMENT November 26, 2024

HAMPTON DRAFT AUAR December 12, 2024

HAMPTON FINAL AUAR March 2025

A while back, two years ago, the City of Northfield completed an AUAR (nominal “environmental review”) for an area where “industrial development” was proposed — unofficially a data center was in the works:

• Xcel/Northfield AUAR! Old news, but… January 25, 2025
• REMINDER: Xcel/Northfield AUAR Comments due TOMORROW! August 16, 2023
• Xcel/Northfield Draft AUAR released! July 20, 2023

BACKGROUND INFO:

There are so many reports that Data Centers are HUGE energy users, but there’s not much about specifics!

2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report

How to meet the demand? From the DOE’s press release on that report, key strategies for meeting data center energy demand include: 

• Enabling data center flexibility through onsite power generation and storage solutions, including the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office’s Onsite Energy Program and new Industrial Energy Storage Systems Prize, so data centers can be a grid asset rather than a burden.  
• Leveraging energy community opportunities to re-use infrastructure at retired coal facilities for data centers and associated power infrastructure.   
• Engaging with stakeholders on innovative rate structures to support data center expansion while maintaining affordability. Commercializing key enabling technologies such as next-generation geothermal, advanced nuclear, long-duration storage, and efficient semiconductor technologies.  

That first one should be a no-brainer.

That second one is also a no-brainer — distributed generation, and put your energy near the load, in conjunction with the first bullet point.

That third one, “support data center expansion while maintaining affordability” sounds like lowering rates for high consumption? Why reward it? That’s backwards.

How much power are we talking about to keep these Data Centers humming?

How Much Energy Do Data Centers Really Use?

Now we’re getting to useful numbers. But we need Cannon Falls project specific numbers. It’s all about the megawatts.

AI says “Data centers typically use between 5 to 10 megawatts (MW) of power on average. However, larger hyperscale data centers can require 100 MW or more, depending on their size, the number of servers, and the cooling systems in place. The power consumption can vary significantly based on the design and operational efficiency of the data center.” It’s on the internet, it must be true! 5-10 MW isn’t that much, essentally the same as a pipeline pumping station, i.e., the CO2 pipelines that require a pumping station every 75 miles (lots of parasitic load).

Noise? Minnesota does have industrial noise standards. Minn. R. 7030.0040:

And apparently noise is a problem at Data Centers. Ask the Goulds — bearing in mind that crypto data mining is not a data center, but equipment is much the same, though in this case, less of it.

Bit 49 crypto-currency in the news October 1st, 2022

There doesn’t seem to be any question that noise is an issue with Data Centers. Here are some specifics:

Why Data Centers Are Loud, and How to Quiet Them Down

Acoustics, Noise, and Vibration Implications in Data Centers

The industry acknowledges that noise is an issue, yet here’s an example where nearby residents struggle to address the noise:

Residents turn up the volume on data center noise complaints:

Manassas neighborhood battles noise from data centers

In this neighborhood, the AVERAGE noise levels as measured by Amazon, were within noise levels permitted in that jurisdiction, but would be over Minnesota’s nighttime noise standard:

Projections by one resident, based on noise levels at a similar project nearby showed noise levels were too high:

The Cannon Falls AUAR scoping document has missed a crucial area — the absence of noise estimates, noise modeling, or any requirement of noise modeling prior to permitting and construction, and testing after construction during typical operation, is problematic.

This Executive Order speaks for itself. After spending so many years challenging “America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” it’s hard to believe this administration could be so deluded.

Executive Order 14261:

Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 (EO 14241 here)

April 8, 2025

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose. In order to secure America’s economic prosperity and national security, lower the cost of living, and provide for increases in electrical demand from emerging technologies, we must increase domestic energy production, including coal. Coal is abundant and cost effective, and can be used in any weather condition. Moreover, the industry has historically employed hundreds of thousands of Americans. America’s coal resources are vast, with a current estimated value in the trillions of dollars, and are more than capable of substantially contributing to American energy independence with excess to export to support allies and our economic competitiveness. Our Nation’s beautiful clean coal resources will be critical to meeting the rise in electricity demand due to the resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of artificial intelligence data processing centers. We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies.

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security. It is a national priority to support the domestic coal industry by removing Federal regulatory barriers that undermine coal production, encouraging the utilization of coal to meet growing domestic energy demands, increasing American coal exports, and ensuring that Federal policy does not discriminate against coal production or coal-fired electricity generation.

Sec. 3. Strengthening Our National Energy Security. The Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) shall designate coal as a “mineral” as defined in section 2 of Executive Order 14241 of March 20, 2025 (Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production), thereby entitling coal to all the benefits of a “mineral” under that order. Further, Executive Order 14241 is hereby amended by deleting the reference to “4332(d)(1)(B)” in section 6(d) of that order and replacing it with a reference to “4532(d)(1)(B)”.

Sec. 4. Assessing Coal Resources and Accessibility on Federal Lands.

(a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Energy shall submit a consolidated report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy that identifies coal resources and reserves on Federal lands, assesses impediments to mining such coal resources, and proposes policies to address such impediments and ultimately enable the mining of such coal resources by either private or public actors.

(b) The Secretary of Energy shall include in the report described in subsection (a) of this section an analysis of the impact that the availability of the coal resources identified could have on electricity costs and grid reliability.

Sec. 5. Lifting Barriers to Coal Mining on Federal Lands.

(a) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall prioritize coal leasing and related activities, consistent with applicable law, as the primary land use for the public lands with coal resources identified in the report described in section 4(a) of this order and expedite coal leasing in these areas, including by utilizing such emergency authorities as are available to them and identifying opportunities to provide for expedited environmental reviews, consistent with applicable law.

(b) The Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to the authorities in the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947, as amended (30 U.S.C. 351-359), and the Multiple Mineral Development Act of 1954 (30 U.S.C. 521-531 et seq.), shall acknowledge the end of the Jewell Moratorium by ordering the publication of a notice in the Federal Register terminating the “Environmental Impact Statement Analyzing the Potential Environmental Effects from Maintaining Secretary Jewell’s Coal Leasing Moratorium”, and process royalty rate reduction applications from Federal coal lessees in as expeditious a manner as permitted by applicable law.

Sec. 6. Supporting American Coal as an Energy Source.

 (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall identify any guidance, regulations, programs, and policies within their respective executive department or agency that seek to transition the Nation away from coal production and electricity generation.

(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the heads of all relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall consider revising or rescinding Federal actions identified in subsection (a) of this section consistent with applicable law.

(c) Agencies that are empowered to make loans, loan guarantees, grants, equity investments, or to conclude offtake agreements, both domestically and abroad, shall, to the extent permitted by law, take steps to rescind any policies or regulations seeking to or that actually discourage investment in coal production and coal-fired electricity generation, such as the 2021 U.S. Treasury Fossil Fuel Energy Guidance for Multilateral Development Banks rescinded by the Department of the Treasury and similar policies or regulations.

(d) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Development Finance Corporation, the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the heads of all other agencies that have discretionary programs that provide, facilitate, or advocate for financing of energy projects shall review their charters, regulations, guidance, policies, international agreements, analytical models and internal bureaucratic processes to ensure that such materials do not discourage the agency from financing coal mining projects and electricity generation projects. Consistent with law, and subject to the applicable agency head’s discretion, where appropriate, any identified preferences against coal use shall immediately be eliminated except as explicitly provided for in statute.

Sec. 7. Supporting American Coal Exports. The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Energy, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for National Security, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall take all necessary and appropriate actions to promote and identify export opportunities for coal and coal technologies and facilitate international offtake agreements for United States coal.

Sec. 8. Expanding Use of Categorical Exclusions for Coal Under the National Environmental Policy Act. Within 30 days of the date of this order, each agency shall identify to the Council on Environmental Quality any existing and potential categorical exclusions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, increased reliance on and adoption of which by other agencies pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4336c could further the production and export of coal.

Sec. 9. Steel Dominance.

(a) The Secretary of Energy, pursuant to the authority under the Energy Act of 2020 (the “Act”), shall determine whether coal used in the production of steel meets the definition of a “critical material” under the Act and, if so, shall take steps to place it on the Department of Energy Critical Materials List.

(b) The Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to the authority under the Act, shall determine whether metallurgical coal used in the production of steel meets the criteria to be designated as a “critical mineral” under the Act and, if so, shall take steps to place coal on the Department of the Interior Critical Minerals List.

Sec. 10. Powering Artificial Intelligence Data Centers.

(a) For the purposes of this order, “artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).

(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Energy shall identify regions where coal-powered infrastructure is available and suitable for supporting AI data centers; assess the market, legal, and technological potential for expanding coal-based infrastructure to power data centers to meet the electricity needs of AI and high-performance computing operations; and submit a consolidated summary report with their findings and proposals to the Chair of the NEDC, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and the Special Advisor for AI and Crypto.

Sec. 11. Acceleration of Coal Technology.

(a) The Secretary of Energy shall take all necessary actions, consistent with applicable law, to accelerate the development, deployment, and commercialization of coal technologies including, but not limited to, utilizing all available funding mechanisms to support the expansion of coal technology, including technologies that utilize coal and coal byproducts such as building materials, battery materials, carbon fiber, synthetic graphite, and printing materials, as well as updating coal feedstock for power generation and steelmaking.

(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy shall submit a detailed action plan to the President through the Chair of the NEDC outlining the funding mechanisms, programs, and policy actions taken to accelerate coal technology deployment.

Sec. 12. General Provisions.

Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

Come on down! Bring your signs! We had a record group of just over 180 last week. It’s pretty warm out today, a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Please stay out of the red area that’s the park — and includes that little green space on the south side of the sidewalk. Remember not to block sidewalks and leave enough room at corners for clear visibility for those turning!