Permits
Permits checklist
1 denied · 1 recommended denial · 1 draft · 2 checked, nothing on file
Zoning was the project's only path, and the county board closed it.
- ✕Zoning text amendment (data centers as a conditional use) DeniedNobles County Board of Commissioners · April 21, 2026: 3-2; upheld the Planning Commission's recommendation to deny News report · April 2026
- ·Planning Commission review of the amendment Recommended denialNobles County Planning Commission · April 8, 2026: a recommendation to deny only; the board made the decision News report · April 2026
- ◷Environmental review (AUAR) DraftNobles County · April 16, 2026: draft comment period closed; final never adopted News report · April 2026
- –Checked, nothing on file: State siting or certificate, Air, water and building permits
Risks
Why it stopped, what could revive it
- HighZoning deniedThe county board refused to allow data centers in the agricultural district and declined to draft a different amendment. News report · April 2026
- HighOrganized oppositionResidents packed the hearing and raised farmland, water, noise and the unknown end user; some called for township moratoriums. News report · April 2026
- MediumNo buyerNo end user, sale agreement or letter of intent was ever announced. News report · April 2026
- MediumPower unsignedSupply agreements with the cooperative were still in development and the site had no utility contract. News report · Oct. 2026
Power
Power and the grid
Sources on record, size not disclosed
- Nobles Cooperative Electric and Great River Energy (MISO) Never executedno MW on record; supply agreements were still in development and never signed Local government · Dec. 2025
Related generation and energy contracts (context, not added to campus supply)
- Four planned Geronimo wind and solar projects (Plum Creek, Lime Creek, Plum Creek II, Summit Lake) Planned, separate projects1,451 MW; separately sited projects, not on-site generation; they proceed without the data center Company · Oct. 2026
Getting on the grid
Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.
- Dec. 2, 2025Power plan described to Murray CountyGeronimo said its Minnesota energy park projects were meant to support the data center and that purchase agreements were still being worked out. Local government · Dec. 2025
- Feb. 24, 2026Co-op backs the projectThe Nobles Cooperative Electric CEO said its board was fully behind the project. News report · Oct. 2026
- April 28, 2026Generation continues aloneGeronimo said the wind, solar and storage projects will move forward even though the data center was rejected. News report · April 2026
- No electric service agreement was ever signed with the cooperative. News report · Oct. 2026
What is next door
- 11.66 km · 345 kV+ line
- 22.53 km · 345 kV+ substation
- 334.02 km · gas pipeline
Distances from mapped lines and plants. OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
Money
Money on record
$12.8M
yearly property tax, developer says
+39% for the county; not validated in a filing News report · April 2026
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- 2025Site Geronimo proposes a Nobles County data center at a Planning Commission work session. News report · Oct. 2026
- Dec. 2, 2025Power Geronimo tells Murray County its nearby energy projects are meant to support the data center. Local government · Dec. 2025
- Feb. 24, 2026Power Nobles Cooperative Electric says its board backs the project. News report · Oct. 2026
- April 8, 2026Permits Planning Commission hearing draws heavy opposition; it does not approve the change and recommends denial. News report · April 2026
- April 8, 2026Money Geronimo announces a $30M community benefits plan the same day. Company · April 2026
- April 16, 2026Permits Comment period on the draft environmental review closes. News report · April 2026
- April 21, 2026Permits County board denies the zoning amendment 3-2; the project ends at this site. News report · April 2026
- April 28, 2026Site Geronimo says it will consider other communities. News report · April 2026
- Oct. 5, 2026Site Utility Dive reports the CEO is weighing nearby alternative sites; the Nobles County site is not revived. News report · Oct. 2026
The buildings
Specs
- Closed loop: liquid cooling (company-stated) News report · April 2026
- Lincoln Pipestone: rural water utility studied as supplier; no agreement News report · April 2026
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Developer
- Geronimo Power: developer; Blake Nixon is CEO
- Brookfield Asset Management: parent
Decision-makers
- Nobles County Board of Commissioners: voted 3-2 to deny
- Nobles County Planning Commission: recommended denial
Power and water
- Nobles Cooperative Electric: local utility
- Great River Energy: wholesale supplier
- Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water: prospective water supplier
Still unknown
Open questions
- Whether Geronimo moves the data center to another Minnesota community.
- The end user Geronimo had in mind.
- How much of the land was actually bought.
Where this comes from
117 records from 23 documents
Drawn from news reports, company statements, public and commercial datasets, local government records, state agency records and utility regulator dockets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 9Company 7Dataset 3Local government 2State agency 2Utility regulator 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 (31)
- Geronimo (Nuese, Lawler) updated the Murray County Board: Plum Creek I fully permitted; Plum Creek II and Lime Creek in site acquisition; together the 'SW Minnesota Energy Park' intended to support the Nobles County data“Plum Creek I Wind project: Fully permitted, with 78 turbines, of which 37 reside in Murray County.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- Utility service: not stated“They continue to work through research development and funding for power purchase agreements.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- Utility: Nobles Cooperative Electric (retail service territory); Great River Energy (wholesale supply)“Representative from Nobles Cooperative Electric added they and Great River Energy will be power providers for Geronimo's data center.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- Nearest power line of 345 kV or more: 1.66 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest substation of 345 kV or more: 2.53 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest gas pipeline: 34.02 km (substance not tagged on the map)Measured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- On-site generation: not stated“Backup generators are only run for emergencies, and in limited testing and maintenance schedules.”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Power plan: hybrid - collocated new wind/solar generation plus cooperative grid service (planned; never contracted)“The Nobles County PDP is comprised of a data center collocated with new local, clean power generation which will supply power to the data center”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Dedicated generation planned for the data park (Geronimo project page, updated Oct 1, 2025): Plum Creek Wind up to 351 MW, Lime Creek Wind 500 MW, Plum Creek II Wind 400 MW, Summit Lake Solar & Storage 200 MW - 1,451 MW“Four local power generation projects are planned to power the data park:”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Name: Nobles County Powered Data Park“Geronimo's proposed Nobles PDP located in southwestern Minnesota is currently progressing through the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR)”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- Stated campus size: 400 MW“Both scenarios assume a 400 MW power draw. For SRDC's analysis, we will focus mostly on the two-building option in order to avoid overestimating economic impacts”Company · Feb. 2026 · grade B
- Site acres: 640 acres“The 640-acre campus will include a large onsite switchyard and substation, a centralized administrative building, and berming to support operations”Company · Feb. 2026 · grade B
- Developer: Geronimo Power, LLC“the company will move forward and transact business under the brand name, Geronimo Power ("Geronimo")”Company · May 2025 · grade B
- Developer parent: Brookfield Asset Management“Following the previously announced acquisition of National Grid Renewables by Brookfield Asset Management ("Brookfield") and its institutional partners”Company · May 2025 · grade B
- Registry status: CANCELLED at this site - queue verdict CONFIRMED. On April 21, 2026 the Nobles County Board voted 3-2 to uphold the Planning Commission's recommendation and deny the zoning text amendment that would have mad“the Nobles County Commissioners' decision to vote against a text amendment to the county's Planning and Zoning Ordinance that would include data centers as a conditional use”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- IT capacity: not stated“the company's data center would have potentially consumed between 400MW and 1GW of power”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Geronimo Power publicly proposed a Nobles County data center at a county Planning Commission work session (Worthington Globe reporting via DCD); no specific site yet - criteria included generation and transmission access“the Nobles County Planning Commission held a work session with the power producer to discuss the potential development of a data center in the county”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Nobles Cooperative Electric CEO Adam Tromblay told the Murray County Board the co-op board was '100% behind this project', citing rate stabilization and infrastructure benefits; Murray County took no action.“the cooperative board "is 100% behind this project. They view it as a once in a lifetime project allowing stabilization of rates”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Utility Dive reported Nixon was considering alternative sites in nearby communities and called current data-center opposition unprecedented in his 20-plus years of development; no revival of the Nobles County site has be“This spring, officials in Nobles County, Minnesota, shot down a proposal by Geronimo to build a 400 MW "data park" there”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Interconnection status: none - project cancelled at this site on Apr 21, 2026 (Nobles County Board voted 3-2 to deny the zoning text amendment the project needed) before any electric service agreement existed; Nobles Coo“The Nobles County Board voted 3-2 on April 21 to deny a zoning change the 640-acre project needed to proceed.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- After the Apr 21, 2026 denial, Geronimo said it would consider 'alternative options, including some other communities that have expressed interest' in hosting a data center - the sponsor's program continues elsewhere; th“Geronimo Power will consider "alternative options, including some other communities that have expressed interest" in hosting a data center”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Geronimo said the nearby wind, solar and storage projects that would have powered the data center will move forward even though the computing hub was rejected (Plum Creek I construction was already slated for 2026-2027).“The nearby wind, solar and battery energy storage projects Geronimo said would power the data center - and which will move forward even if the computing hub isn't built, it says”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Site location: East of Reading, MN, between 190th Street and 200th Street, north of Worthington“Geronimo Power has been eyeing a 959-acre land parcel located between 200th Street and 190th Street”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Acres: 959 acres“Geronimo Power has been eyeing a 959-acre land parcel located between 200th Street and 190th Street”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Geronimo Power Nobles County Powered Data Park cancelled at this site - the Nobles County Board's Apr 21, 2026 denial of the zoning text amendment ended the project before any interconnection or service agreement; Geroni“the company's data center would have potentially consumed between 400MW and 1GW of power”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- The draft AUAR scoping document modelled campus power consumption between 400 MW and 1 GW - an environmental-review envelope, not a stated capacity; the developer's stated target was 400 MW (campus facts mw campus stated“the company's data center would have potentially consumed between 400MW and 1GW of power”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Construction stage: not stated“The plug was pulled by county commissioners Tuesday morning on the location of a planned Geronimo Power Nobles County Powered Data Park project”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Stated campus size: 400 MW“Geronimo Power says the 400 megawatts needed to operate the data center will not impact electric rates to nearby residents.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Cooling: closed-loop liquid cooling (company-stated)“Geronimo Power said a "closed-loop system" will be in place, using the same liquid to cool equipment rather than consistently drawing water.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Announced: 2025“the Nobles County Planning Commission held a work session with the power producer to discuss the potential development of a data center in the county”News report · 2025 · grade C
- Original target date: 2030“"Ultimately, 2030 would be the target (completion) if it was a 400MW data center," he said.”News report · 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (15)
- power purchase agreement: status - in development, never executed“They continue to work through research development and funding for power purchase agreements.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- land acquisition: status - partial acquisition“The data center project would require a full section of land - including safe setbacks for the surrounding community.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- community benefits plan: scope - total commitment 30000000 USD“Geronimo's 10/10/10 Community Benefits Plan will establish three separate $10 million commitments”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- community benefits plan: fund structure“a charitable fund, neighbor shared benefits program, and a community development fund - each designed to address a different community priority”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- Geronimo announced its 10/10/10 Community Benefits Plan (three $10M funds) plus open houses, weekly coffee hours and a Worthington office, in a release issued the day of the Planning Commission hearing.“Geronimo's 10/10/10 Community Benefits Plan will establish three separate $10 million commitments”Company · April 2026 · grade B
- Tenant status: no buyer / end user signed - powered-land play: Geronimo planned to prepare a shovel-ready site and sell it to a hyperscale end user who would operate the facility; no end user was ever identified“Geronimo Power is preparing a shovel-ready site for a hyperscale data center campus, which it will then sell to a major cloud or AI provider such as Amazon, Meta, or Google”Company · Feb. 2026 · grade B
- Tenants: not stated“According to reports, the site would ultimately be sold to an end user who would operate the data center.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- electric service agreement: status - none executed“This is not a Nobles Cooperative Electric project”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Tax revenue stated: 12800000 USD per year“boosting countywide property tax receipts by $12.8 million annually - a 39% jump from the status quo”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Geronimo's stated benefits: $4B investment, more than 1,000 construction jobs, at least 85 permanent jobs, $12.8M/yr in additional county property tax receipts (+39%), plus the $30M 10/10/10 community-benefits commitment“the project would have created more than 1,000 construction jobs and at least 85 permanent jobs”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Square feet: 2500000 sq ft“for the construction of eight data center buildings totalling 2.5 million sq ft (232,257 sqm)”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Stated capital cost: 4000000000 USD“A $4 billion data center has been rejected by local officials in Nobles County, Minnesota.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Tenant status: none signed - developer planned to prepare the powered site and sell it to an end-user operator“The site would have ultimately been sold to an end user who would operate the facility.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- end-user site sale: status - planned, no buyer signed“The site would have ultimately been sold to an end user who would operate the facility.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Water supplier prospective: Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water (feasibility study only; no agreement)“A feasibility study is ongoing to see if Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water will be a good fit for the project.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
Permits and government (19)
- zoning ordinance baseline: existing ordinance verified - data centers not a listed conditional use“Dams, power plants, switching yards, transmission lines of over 35KV, flowage areas and pipelines.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Murray County Board of Commissioners: Item 4.5.3 Plum Creek Wind Project update (Geronimo Power: Sidney Nuese, Sean Lawler), including the Nobles County data center proposal and Nobles Cooperative Electric / Great River“These projects make up a larger project " SW Minnesota Energy Park", which is working towards potentially supporting the data center being proposed in Nobles County.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- FAA status: No FAA OE/AAA case for the project: circles at the county centroid, Worthington and the parcel area returned 2, 4 and 0 cases (antenna towers, a solar array, highway bridge cranes) - none for Geronimo Power o“FAA OE/AAA circle pulls at 43.674206,-95.753387, 43.6197,-95.5964 and 43.54,-95.62 (5 NM, 2021-2026): 2, 4 and 0 cases”FAA · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- state siting / certificate of need: no docket - jurisdiction check“The Commission approved permit amendments for the Plum Creek Wind Farm.”Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Nobles County Planning Commission: Work session with Geronimo Power on a potential county data center (site criteria, AUAR plan, end-user sale model)“According to local reports, the Nobles County Planning Commission held a work session with the power producer”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Murray County Board of Commissioners: Geronimo Power briefing (Sean Lawler) on wind developments and the proposed Nobles County data center; Nobles Cooperative Electric CEO Adam Tromblay stated the co-op board's support“Sean Lawler of Geronimo Power briefed the Murray County Board of Commissioners Feb. 24 on the company's wind developments and a newer data center effort”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Construction stage: cancelled at this site - never built“The Nobles County Board voted 3-2 on April 21 to deny a zoning change the 640-acre project needed to proceed”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Current target date: not stated“The Nobles County Board voted 3-2 on April 21 to deny a zoning change the 640-acre project needed to proceed.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- environmental review (AUAR): AUAR initiated; draft scoping document circulated“According to a draft scoping document that outlines three uses for the land parcel - to leave it as is, a data center, or a mixed business development”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Project status: Cancelled at this site: on Apr 21, 2026 the Nobles County Board voted 3-2 to deny the zoning change the project needed (upholding the Planning Commission's recommendation against making data centers a con“The Nobles County Board voted 3-2 on April 21 to deny a zoning change the 640-acre project needed to proceed”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Stage: cancelled“On a 3-2 vote, commissioners moved to uphold the Nobles County Planning Commission's recommendation to deny a proposed zoning text amendment”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- zoning text amendment: denied (3-2)“The existing ordinance will remain unchanged, and data centers will not become a conditional use in the ag preservation district.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Nobles County Board denied the zoning text amendment 3-2, ending the project; the ordinance is unchanged and data centers are not a conditional use in the agricultural preservation district.“The existing ordinance will remain unchanged, and data centers will not become a conditional use in the ag preservation district.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Nobles County Board of Commissioners: Decision on the zoning text amendment (data centers as a conditional use in the agricultural preservation district)“On a 3-2 vote, commissioners moved to uphold the Nobles County Planning Commission's recommendation to deny a proposed zoning text amendment adding data centers”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- zoning text amendment: public hearing held; amendment not approved (recommendation to deny)“Despite some public comment in favor of the zoning change, it was not approved on Wednesday night.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- environmental review (AUAR): draft AUAR comment period closed“An environmental review process is still open for comment until April 16th.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Draft AUAR comment period closed April 16, 2026 (comments to Nobles County Environmental Services); the final AUAR was never adopted because the zoning denial followed five days later.“An environmental review process is still open for comment until April 16th.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Organized resident opposition: yard signs, a packed hearing and township moratorium calls; concerns centred on farmland loss, water, noise and the unknown end user.“"I think every township in Nobles County should ask for a twelve-month moratorium to put more thought into this," said resident Rod Sankey.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Nobles County Planning Commission: Public hearing on the zoning text amendment to add data centers as a conditional use in the agricultural preservation district“A public hearing was called in Worthington, Minnesota, to consider a zoning ordinance change, and many residents attended to voice their concerns.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
Site and other (6)
- Land status: partially acquired - some land acquired by Dec 2025; full site never assembled“Some of the land has already been acquired.”Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade A
- County code: 27105“FCC census block find for latitude 43.696000 longitude -95.695000 returned County FIPS 27105, name Nobles County, block 271051051001115”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Jobs permanent stated: 85 jobs“the project would have created more than 1,000 construction jobs and at least 85 permanent jobs”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- CEO Blake Nixon said after the vote that Geronimo had 'listened and learned' and would consider 'alternative options, including some other communities that have expressed interest' in hosting a data center.“In a statement to the Reformer after the vote, Nixon said his company had "listened and learned from local leaders and community members in Nobles County"”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Buildings: 8 buildings“for the construction of eight data center buildings totalling 2.5 million sq ft (232,257 sqm)”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Opposition: organized resident opposition (farmland preservation, water, noise, rural character)“"Everybody has come together to work to try to rid ourselves of what we see as a problem," said resident Rod Burkard.”News report · April 2026 · grade C