Permits
Permits checklist
1 denied · 2 checked, nothing on file
State and city actions on record.
- ✕Exemption from certificate of need for backup generators DeniedMinnesota Public Utilities Commission · Feb. 28, 2025: 4-0; Amazon must prove need News report · Feb. 2025
- –Checked, nothing on file: City project permits, Air permit for generators
Risks
Why it stopped, what could revive it
- HighSuspendedAmazon is redirecting resources to projects that can deliver capacity faster; no restart has been announced. News report · May 2025
- HighGenerators need state sign-offAmazon must win a certificate of need for its backup fleet before an air permit is possible. see Permits
- MediumLand-flip scrutinyRegulators who approved Xcel's sale sought answers on the near tenfold resale price (press). News report · May 2025
- WatchThinner state tax breaksMinnesota dropped the electricity sales-tax exemption for data centers in June 2025. News report · June 2025
Power
Power and the grid
None energized or contracted yet
Xcel Energy gridNot contracted
expected peak daily load cited in the generator petition (press); no Xcel service agreement found; project suspended News report · Nov. 2024
Proposed
Getting on the grid
Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.
- Nov. 2024Generator exemption soughtAmazon asks state regulators to exempt its roughly 250 backup diesel generators from a certificate of need. News report · Nov. 2024
- Feb. 28, 2025Exemption denied, 4-0Regulators require Amazon to prove the generators are needed and weigh alternatives such as biodiesel. News report · Feb. 2025
- Not setService agreement: none foundNo Xcel electric service agreement for the site was found as of Oct. 2026. Utility regulator · Oct. 2026
- Xcel said it is the electric provider for the area and would power the site once operating. News report · Nov. 2024
- No state air permit for the generators was found; they could not be permitted before the certificate of need regulators required. News report · Oct. 2026
Money
Money on record
~$8M
what Xcel got for the same land in April 2024
sold to Elk River Technologies; reports give $7.7M to $7.97M News report · Nov. 2024
- Repealed: state sales-tax exemption on data-center electricity (June 2025; equipment exemption extended) News report · June 2025
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- April 2024Site Xcel sells the 348-acre parcel to Elk River Technologies, a Black & Veatch subsidiary, for about $8M News report · Nov. 2024
- Oct. 30, 2024Site Amazon buys the land for $73.56M News report · Oct. 2024
- Nov. 2024Power Amazon petitions regulators to exempt its backup generators from a certificate of need News report · Nov. 2024
- Jan. 13, 2025Permits City staff report no project permits have been applied for Local government · Jan. 2025
- Feb. 28, 2025Permits Regulators vote 4-0 to deny the exemption News report · Feb. 2025
- May 2025Permits Amazon seeks a legislative fix to ease the generator rules News report · May 2025
- May 22, 2025Site Amazon suspends the project to focus on faster sites News report · May 2025
- June 14, 2025Money New state law repeals the sales-tax exemption on data-center electricity News report · June 2025
The buildings
Specs
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Owners
- Amazon Data Services, Inc.: owner
- Elk River Technologies LLC: Black & Veatch subsidiary that bought from Xcel and resold to Amazon
- Xcel Energy: original landowner
Decision-makers
- Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: certificate of need
- City of Becker Economic Development Authority
- Minnesota Legislature: data-center tax and generator rules
Power partners
- Xcel Energy: serving utility
Opponents
- Commenters before regulators: Attorney General's Residential Utilities Division, CURE and Sierra Club
Still unknown
Open questions
- Whether Amazon will restart the project.
- Certificate of need filing for the generators.
- Xcel service agreement.
Where this comes from
40 records from 12 documents
Drawn from news reports, public and commercial datasets and local government records, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 9Dataset 2Local government 1
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (4)
- Xcel Energy is the serving utility - the site is Xcel's former Sherco land and Xcel stated it is 'the electric provider for the area' and will provide the electricity once operational; No Xcel ESA for Amazon Becker was r“In February, Minnesota utility regulators said Amazon must prove it needed 250 backup diesel generators at the Becker site.”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Utility service: 600 MW“ADS has proposed to install approximately 250 Tier 4-compliant diesel generators ranging in size from 250 kilowatts to 2.75 megawatts, capable of providing the data center's expected peak daily load of 600 megawatts”News report · Feb. 2025 · grade C
- Backup generator fleet: approximately 250 Tier 4 diesel generators, 250 kW to 2.75 MW each“ADS has proposed to install approximately 250 Tier 4-compliant diesel generators ranging in size from 250 kilowatts to 2.75 megawatts”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C
- Utility: Xcel Energy“As the electric provider for the area, we will be engaged in the site development process and providing the electricity needed to reliably power the site once operational”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C
Money and contracts (8)
- June 14, 2025: Minnesota's data center law (2025 Chapter 13) repealed the sales tax exemption on electricity used by data centers - a rollback Gov. Walz proposed the week before Amazon's suspension and legislators cite a“The lawmakers eliminated a smaller subsidy, an exemption from sales taxes for electricity.”News report · June 2025 · grade C
- Project status: suspended (May 2025) - Amazon redirecting resources over permitting and utility-agreement uncertainty; land retained, project not ruled out“we are redirecting more of our resources to focus on other projects that can provide capacity to our customers more quickly”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Project status: suspended by Amazon in May 2025; land retained; not cancelled“Amazon hasn’t ruled out revisiting the project. It plans to keep 348 acres of land it purchased in Becker that it purchased for $73.5 million in 2024.”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- The site's price path drew regulator and watchdog scrutiny: Xcel Energy sold the 348 acres to Elk River Technologies in April 2024 for about $7.97M and Elk River resold to Amazon seven months later for $73.5M; the PUC, w“Seven months later, Elk River sold the land to Amazon for $73.5 million, nearly 10 times the price Xcel had obtained.”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Land chain: Xcel Energy sold the 348-acre Sherco-site parcel to Elk River Technologies LLC (a Black & Veatch subsidiary) in April 2024 for about $7.7 million; Elk River resold it to Amazon Data Services about seven month“Seven months later, Elk River sold the land to Amazon for $73.5 million, nearly 10 times the price Xcel had obtained.”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C
- Developer: Amazon Data Services, Inc. (owner-operator)“Amazon paid $73.56 million for the 348-acre parcel, according to the CRV. The transaction closed Oct. 30.”News report · Oct. 2024 · grade C
- Site acres: 348 acres“Amazon paid $73.56 million for the 348-acre parcel, according to the CRV. The transaction closed Oct. 30.”News report · Oct. 2024 · grade C
- Land acquisition price: 73.56 USD millions“Amazon paid $73.56 million for the 348-acre parcel, according to the CRV. The transaction closed Oct. 30.”News report · Oct. 2024 · grade C
Permits and government (10)
- EDA staff reported Amazon had closed on the 348-acre property in the city's indu: staff reported Amazon closed on the 348-acre property; no project permits applied for“Sanders announced that Amazon closed on 348 acre property in the City's industrial park.”Local government · Jan. 2025 · grade A
- The land flip drew regulator and consumer-advocate scrutiny: the Minnesota PUC, which had approved Xcel's initial sale, sought answers on the pricing and on any Xcel/Black & Veatch relationship; the Citizens Utility Boar“The flipping of the land for a much higher sale price raised eyebrows among state regulators, with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which had approved Xcel's initial sale, seeking answers”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- May 2025: Amazon suspended the Becker project, saying permit and utility timelines had become too uncertain and it would redirect resources to faster projects; Becker's city administrator confirmed the city had been told“As a result, due to the uncertainty, we are redirecting more of our resources to focus on other projects that can provide capacity to our customers more quickly”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Amazon sought to overturn the PUC ruling at the Minnesota Legislature (2025 bills HF28 / SF13 / HF2862 would exempt data center backup generation from certificate of need); lawmakers simultaneously moved to trim data cen“The company sought to overturn the ruling at the Legislature by easing some requirements for proving a need for backup power.”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Commission voted 4-0 on Feb 28, 2025 to reject the exemption; ADS must prove nee: exemption denied - Certificate of Need required“The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to reject the tech giant's request for an exemption from a "Certificate of Need."”News report · Feb. 2025 · grade C
- Feb 28, 2025: the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to reject Amazon Data Services' request for an exemption from a Certificate of Need for its roughly 250 backup diesel generators - a first-of-its-kind rul“The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to reject the tech giant's request for an exemption from a “Certificate of Need.””News report · Feb. 2025 · grade C
- Minnesota Public Utilities Commission:“The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to reject the tech giant's request for an exemption from a "Certificate of Need."”News report · Feb. 2025 · grade C
- MN PUC ruled Amazon Data Services must obtain a Certificate of Need for ~250 Tie: Certificate of Need REQUIRED for backup generators - exemption DENIED (vote 4-0, Feb. 2025)“Utility regulators in Minnesota recently ruled that a Certificate of Need is required for emergency backup generators at Amazon Data Services Inc.’s proposed data center in Becker, Minnesota.”News report · Feb. 2025 · grade C
- ADS petitioned the MN PUC in late 2024 for an exemption from the certificate-of-: ADS petition filed requesting CN exemption for backup generators (late 2024)“In late 2024, ADS filed a petition at the Minnesota Public Utility Commission requesting an exemption from the requirement for a certificate of need”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C
- ADS petitioned for an exemption from the certificate of need requirement for its: petition filed“In late 2024, ADS filed a petition at the Minnesota Public Utility Commission requesting an exemption from the requirement for a certificate of need”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C
Site and other (2)
- County code: 27141“FCC Census Block API for site point 45.3955,-93.8768: Block FIPS 271410304072010; County FIPS 27141, Sherburne County, Minnesota”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Project identity: Amazon Data Services data center campus, Becker industrial park adjacent to Xcel Energy's Sherco plant, Becker, Sherburne County, MN“ADS intends to construct a data center in Becker adjacent to Xcel Energy's Sherburne County Coal Generating Plant.”News report · Nov. 2024 · grade C