No. There's no ordinance yet. The commission is still gathering ideas, and the Planning Commission and City Council will shape and vote on the actual rules later.

Can the city really not ban data centers?

Right. Staff were clear the city can't prohibit them. It can only regulate them through zoning and an ordinance.

Will a data center drain Eagan's water?

The one here uses about 7 million gallons a year and isn't a top 10 water user. The city plans to require water studies so it understands the impact of any new one before it's built.

The moratorium ends in February 2027. The city wants rules in place before then.

How can I have a say?

The city is building a public engagement plan, and there will be a public hearing before any ordinance passes. Watch the city website and the commission's meetings for your chance to comment.

Eagan Data Center Rules: What the City Is Planning

TLDR

Eagan is writing new rules for data centers, and staff say the city legally can't just ban them.
Big worries: noise, water use, power draw, and low-frequency hum you can feel but not hear.
One data center already in Eagan uses about 7 million gallons of water a year.
The clock is ticking — there's a February 2027 deadline.

At Eagan's Sustainable Eagan Advisory Commission meeting on August 10, 2026, the biggest topic wasn't a park or a bus. It was giant computer warehouses called data centers. Planner Mike Schultz walked the commission through the issues. This was actually the first data center talk that got televised in Eagan, so it's the public's first real look at where things stand.

First, the Rule Everyone Needs to Hear

Schultz said it plainly: "Can we prohibit data centers? And the answer is no. We can't just prohibit data centers." The city can't slam the door. What it can do is write an ordinance — a local rule — that controls where data centers go and how they operate. Eagan already put a temporary pause, or moratorium, on new large data centers while it figures this out.

Why the Rush?

There's a deadline. The moratorium runs out in February 2027. Before then, the city needs real rules on the books. If it doesn't, it loses its best tool to shape what gets built.

So staff are moving. Commissioners were asked to email their ideas to Chair Azizi by August 19. Then there's a joint workshop with the Planning Commission on August 25 at 5:30 p.m. All of this is happening while Eagan grows fast — see our coverage of the city's 1,400-home building boom.

The Water Question

Data centers can be thirsty. They use water to stay cool. The really big ones, called "hyperscale" centers, can use millions of gallons a year.

But here's a number that grounded the room. The data center already running in Eagan uses about 7 million gallons a year. That still isn't even a top 10 water user in the city. For comparison, staff said the average Eagan home uses about 95,000 to 100,000 gallons a year.

Commissioners asked good questions. Is there a limit on how much water Eagan can supply? How does the shared underground aquifer work across city lines? Staff said they'll bring in the public works and utilities teams to dig into that.

Noise You Can Hear — and Noise You Can't

Data centers hum. That comes from the cooling fans and equipment. The state sets the noise limits, and the city can't be stricter than the state allows.

There are two kinds. One is normal audible noise. The other is "infrasound" — a very low hum that's below what people can hear. You might not hear it, but you can sometimes feel it. It's a newer concern, and there's no state standard for it yet. Experts can measure both with pre- and post-construction noise studies.

Power, Safety, and the Big Building Trigger

Power is another worry. Bigger data centers can pull a lot from the grid, and there's a trend toward on-site power generation for the largest ones. That could pull in the state pollution agency (the MPCA) for permits.

Safety came up too. One commissioner pushed to make sure emergency and fire response plans are part of the rules, given all the electrical power and equipment inside. And there's a size trigger to know: a data center building over 450,000 square feet would require a full environmental review, while one under 75,000 square feet is exempt.

Learning From Other Cities

Staff leaned on lessons from Loudoun County, Virginia — known as "data center alley" — and from a supervisor there named Mike Turner. His suggestions included setbacks of at least 500 feet (ideally 1,000), the cleanest "tier four" backup generators, closed-loop or air cooling to save water, and screening like berms and vegetation.

Closer to home, staff pointed to Eden Prairie, which recently passed a data center ordinance even though it has no data centers yet. Eden Prairie asks builders to explain how their project fits the city's climate goals. Rosemount, meanwhile, has a Meta data center building and a moratorium but no ordinance yet. Minnesota is still catching up too, with statewide debate ongoing.

The Bottom Line

Eagan is writing the rulebook for data centers, and it's doing it on a deadline. The city can't ban them, so the fight is over the details — water, noise, power, screening, and safety. Commissioners were asked to send ideas to the chair by August 19, with a joint Planning Commission workshop on August 25 at 5:30 p.m.

The good news for residents: a public engagement plan is coming. You'll get a chance to speak before any final vote, likely on the city website and at a public hearing. Keep an eye on our Eagan page for updates.