Re: Support for S.F. 4298 – Data Center Moratorium

March 20, 2026

The Honorable Jen McEwen
Minnesota State Senate
95 University Ave. W.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Re: Support for S.F. 4298 – Data Center Moratorium

Dear Senator McEwen,

The Minnesota Catholic Conference writes to thank you for introducing S.F. 4298 and to express our support for this legislation putting a moratorium on new data centers. Your bill reflects the kind of prudent and deliberate governance needed as the pace of technological development begins to outstrip our capacity to fully understand its longer-term consequences.

As Minnesota continues to see rapid expansion of large-scale data center development, it is especially important that policymakers proceed with care. Data centers place enormous demands on energy, water, and land. In many cases, communities are asked to absorb these costs before the full picture is clear. Senate File 4298 simply requires Minnesota to develop a clear, independent, and publicly accountable record before making a long-term commitment with significant and potentially irreversible impacts. Mandating a comprehensive review and area-wide impact is not obstruction; it is responsible stewardship of our common home.

We are especially encouraged that the bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to consult with Tribal governments, assess localized environmental impacts, and use an independent contractor free from conflicts of interest. These steps help ensure that the communities most affected have a real voice in the process. We would encourage you to amend the bill to clarify that the required comprehensive report will also analyze the impact of data centers on energy prices and affordability, especially in lower-income communities.

Pope Francis called us in his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ to resist the uncritical acceleration of technology when it threatens human dignity and the natural world. Your bill is in line with that call. It asks a necessary question before Minnesota commits its land, water, and energy: do we fully understand what we are agreeing to? We believe that Minnesotans must have a better sense of what we are allowing before proceeding with local decisions that have a region- or statewide impact.

Respectfully,
Jason Adkins
Executive [email protected]

CC: Senators Maye Quade, Marty, Port, and Clark (Senate co-authors)