An environmental nonprofit in Minnesota has filed lawsuits against two cities and their development partners, arguing that reviews for massive projects failed to disclose the potential for data centers and the risks they pose.

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy filed separate lawsuits against Lakeville and North Mankato, claiming that the cities' alternative urban areawide reviews -- a type of environmental review -- violated state law.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported that the MCEA is arguing the documents didn't identify the projects as potential data centers, glossing over critical concerns such as water use, electricity demand, and pollution. Now, the MCEA wants both cities to halt these developments and undergo more rigorous environmental impact statements.

In North Mankato, internal emails showed that city officials were in contact with two data center developers while the AUAR was underway. In Lakeville, the review projected water usage of up to 2.5 million gallons per day, which is comparable to that of a medium-sized data center. Both projects moved forward without publicly disclosing that they might house massive server facilities.

Data centers are notoriously resource-intensive. They consume large amounts of water for cooling, require huge amounts of electricity, and can generate noise, light, and air pollution. Without clear disclosures and thorough reviews, residents could be blindsided by the potential impact of these projects on their bills, health, and local environment.

Residents were grateful for the organization's eagle-eyed response, with one Facebook user saying: "Most grateful -- I live north of Mankato & drink from a private well. YOU are my [heroes]."

Another added: "Thank you MCEA! We need this transparency to protect our groundwater and natural resources. Responsible development is key!"

"Minnesotans have a right to know where the energy will come from to power these massive facilities and how our clean air, drinking water, and quality of life will be protected," said Kathryn Hoffman, MCEA's CEO. "Without answers to these basic questions, Minnesota can't fully weigh the pros and cons of whether these developments are right for our state. Our laws require more transparency, and Minnesotans deserve it."

"We have a goal of all carbon free energy in Minnesota by 2040 and increasing electricity demand without making sure we have the clean energy resources ... puts those goals at risk," Hoffman also said to MPR News.