Apr 24, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
A $4 billion data center project has been rejected by local officials in Nobles County, Minnesota. Renewable energy developer Geronimo Power had been considering a 959-acre site between 200th Street and 190th Street for the development of eight data center buildings totaling 2.5 million sq ft (232,257 sqm).
However, the Nobles County Commissioners voted against a proposed amendment to the county’s Planning and Zoning Ordinance that would have allowed data centers as a conditional use within areas designated for agricultural preservation, effectively blocking the project. As a result, Geronimo Power will need to pursue an alternative location. According to a draft scoping document outlining potential uses for the site—including maintaining its current state, developing a data center, or a mixed-use business project—the proposed facility could have required between 400MW and 1GW of power.
The site would have ultimately been sold to an end user that would operate the facility. Geronimo Power, formerly known as Geronimo Energy prior to May 2025, was founded in 2004 and acquired by National Grid Ventures in 2019. The company reports more than 2GW of operating capacity, around 1GW under construction, and a development pipeline exceeding 20GW.
