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CNBC — Technology · October 19, 2026 · On the brief until November 2, 2026

Google says it can build data centers the right way. Some experts and residents are skeptical

Environmental ScienceCivil EngineeringPublic Policy
THE AI ANGLE
Driving major growth in electric power demand

Google and Xcel Energy proposed a 780-megawatt data center in Minnesota paired with new wind, solar, and battery capacity. The agreement includes minimum demand charges to protect local ratepayers from infrastructure expenses. Engineers and policymakers must now decide whether massive new builds are better than placing smaller facilities across existing grid capacity.

Summary written by AI Business Lens with an AI model from the article at cnbc.com. It is not the article, and the publisher has not reviewed it. For publishers.

THE TEACHING ANGLE
Regulated utilities earn profits by building new infrastructure, which conflicts with recommendations to distribute smaller data center loads across existing grid capacity.

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