Geronimo Power Proposes 400MW Data Center Project in Rural Minnesota

Geronimo Power Proposes Major Data Center in Nobles County, Minnesota December 2, 2025 A significant new data center project is on the horizon for Minnesota, as renewable energy developer Geronimo Power has proposed building a facility in Nobles County with a potential capacity of up to 400 megawatts. The move highlights the growing trend of data center development in non-traditional markets, driven by the search for available power and sustainable energy sources. The proposal was discussed during a recent work session with the Nobles County Planning Commission. While a specific site has not been finalized, Geronimo Power has indicated its interest in several townships, including Summit Lake, Elk, Bloom, and Seward. The company, a subsidiary of National Grid Ventures, plans to purchase a parcel of land suitable for a 400-500MW campus. A key driver for the project is to address local energy curtailment issues. "By bringing load into the area, it would pull out some power, allowing the rest to get into the system," said Jordan Burmeister, Geronimo Power's senior director of development. "We're trying to take this area from a grid strain to a grid strength area." Geronimo Power, which rebranded from Geronimo Energy in May 2025, brings substantial renewable energy assets to the table. The company currently has approximately 2.8 gigawatts of wind and solar generation in operation or under construction within Minnesota. It intends to power the proposed data center primarily with output from its nearby Lime Creek and Plum Creek wind farms, as well as the proposed Summit Lake Solar Farm near Reading—a combined potential of around 1.5GW. Due to the intermittent nature of renewables, the facility would also likely require a grid connection or a firm baseload power source. The company's plan involves commencing an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) process before year-end, pending county consent. If the review aligns with the county's comprehensive plan, Geronimo aims to secure an end-user operator for the data center by 2027, with a target completion date around 2030 for the full 400MW build-out. The completed facility would ultimately be sold to an operator, with site selection criteria focusing on access to electrical infrastructure, fiber optics, water, labor, and community support. This proposal signals a notable expansion of Minnesota's data center landscape, which has historically been concentrated in the Minneapolis area with players like DataBank and Cologix. Recently, the state has attracted major hyperscale interest, with Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and CloudHQ all announcing large-scale projects. Geronimo Power's model of coupling data center development with its own renewable generation portfolio could set a precedent for sustainable digital infrastructure growth in energy-rich rural regions. Source: datacenterdynamics