In Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, the city council adjourned before a scheduled data center vote as 80+ residents booed. That's one of eight stories unfolding across America right now.
đïž **COMMUNITY** â The Inver Grove Heights, MN City Council adjourned Monday night before a scheduled data center moratorium vote, prompting boos and shouting from 80+ residents. The hearing was rescheduled for Friday at 8 AM. Council Member Sue Gliva cited unspecified "confidential" new information. The developer behind the proposed 54,000 sq ft facility has threatened legal action if the city acts on anything beyond zoning law.
đłïž **LEGAL** â In Frederick County, Maryland, the Frederick County Data Center Referendum Committee filed its opening appeal brief with the Maryland Supreme Court on Tuesday, representing 21,000+ residents who signed a petition to vote on a 2,615-acre data center zone north of Adamstown. A lower court blocked the referendum. Oral arguments are set June 30 â one day before ballot language is due to the state.
âïž **LEGAL** â 1000 Friends of Oregon, Tax Fairness Oregon, the Tualatin Riverkeepers, and a sitting Hillsboro City Councilor sued Hillsboro and Washington County Monday over tax breaks for 17 data centers. The city rushed enterprise zone approvals to beat Oregon's June 6 data center tax moratorium. The Oregon Education Association is also a plaintiff.
⥠**POWER** â A new Cleanview analysis reveals 46 planned U.S. data centers with 56 GW combined capacity plan to build private gas plants and bypass the grid entirely. That sidesteps utility regulators â while leaving all ratepayers to fund grid upgrades. Residential electricity prices rose 11.5% in 2025; analysts forecast a further 40% increase by 2030.
đ§ **WATER** â Two-thirds of 809 planned U.S. data centers are being sited in drought-affected areas (Tom's Hardware / The Guardian). AI data centers consumed 264 billion gallons of water in 2025 â 550 million gallons per day. U.S. data center water demand is forecast to quadruple by 2028, reaching 73 billion gallons per year.
đïž **POLICY** â Florida Governor DeSantis signed SB 484 (effective July 1): data centers drawing 50 MW or more must pay their full cost of service, including all grid upgrades. Utilities are barred from charging residential or small-business ratepayers for data center infrastructure. At least 12 other states are pursuing similar laws.
đïž **NEW BUILD** â Miami developer Revitalization Unlimited filed plans for a 20-story, 384-foot data center tower in downtown Kansas City, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The 140,880 sq ft building devotes 18 floors to IT racks and fuel cells, with a coffee shop on the ground floor. City review begins June 30.
