Bill > SF3320

This bill establishes new provisions for evaluating and permitting large water appropriation projects and data center environmental reviews. For water appropriation projects that will use over 100 million gallons per year or 250,000 gallons per day, the bill encourages potential applicants to engage with state commissioners early in the project development process to assess water availability and compatibility with existing water needs. The bill requires city and county employees to notify state commissioners within ten business days if contacted about such a project, and allows commissioners to request detailed preapplication information about the proposed water use. When issuing permits for these large water appropriation projects, commissioners must ensure the projects serve the public interest, consider water conservation technologies, and address potential water use conflicts. Additionally, the bill mandates that the construction or significant expansion of data centers (defined as increasing average hourly load by 100 megawatts or more) requires an environmental impact statement prepared by the Public Utilities Commission. All provisions of this bill will take effect the day after final enactment, and the communications and information exchanged during the preapplication process will be considered nonpublic data until the project is either abandoned or a formal permit application is filed.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3320&ssn=0&y=2025