PINE ISLAND, Minn. — A new lawsuit is challenging the environmental review for a proposed data center about 20 miles north of Rochester.

The City of Pine Island conducted the review for what's called "Project Skyway". It's part of a larger goal to add data centers around the state to keep up with AI demand.

In the lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, advocates argue the city's review lacks analysis to evaluate environmental impacts.

We've reached out to Pine Island and city officials tell KARE 11 they are not commenting on pending litigation.

Data centers have been met with controversy, especially about the amount of resources they utilize. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and a

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