# Google *American technology company; in the Minnesota record, named in two at-issue pairs on data-center land at the Sherburne County coal-plant site and in a catalogue row on a multistate antitrust action.* Google is an American technology company. In the Minnesota record it appears in two at-issue pairs from the project's Sherburne energy brief. Both concern data-center land at or next to the Sherburne County coal plant, the [[Sherco]] site.[^1][^2] The pairs rest on news reports. The pack carries no court filing, statute or agency record for these facts. According to the brief, Google announced a $600 million data center at the Sherco site in January 2019. The [[Legislature]] appropriated $20.5 million for the industrial park's water and sewer, and Google withdrew in December 2022 without building.[^1] A second pair records that Google, [[Microsoft]] and [[Amazon]] each bought or optioned land next to the plant, and that one project was built.[^2] A row in the project's link catalogue also records that Ellison joined a multistate Google antitrust action. That row cites a [[United States Department of Justice]] press release.[^4] ## Who - Google is named as the company that announced the Sherco-site data center.[^1] - Google, Microsoft and Amazon are named as the three companies that bought or optioned land next to the Sherburne County coal plant.[^2] ## What - The announced project was a $600 million Google data center at the Sherco site.[^1] - Public money went to the site's infrastructure. The Legislature appropriated $20.5 million for the industrial park's water and sewer.[^1] - The brief states that Google's power affiliate never gave notice to proceed and that Xcel then terminated the agreements.[^1] - According to the brief, the water and sewer pipes were installed even though the data center was not built.[^1] ## When - January 2019: Google announced the $600 million data center at the Sherco site.[^1] - December 2022: Google withdrew from the project. The brief places this after the power affiliate's failure to give notice to proceed and Xcel's termination of the agreements.[^1] - February 2024: Microsoft paid $17.7 million for 300 acres next to the plant.[^2] ## Where - The Google project was sited at the Sherco site.[^1] - The three companies' parcels lie next to the Sherburne County coal plant. The brief describes them as the replacement tax base for [[Becker]].[^2] ## How much - Google's announced investment was $600 million.[^1] - The Legislature appropriated $20.5 million for the industrial park's water and sewer.[^1] - Microsoft paid $17.7 million for its 300 acres. According to the brief, Microsoft has never disclosed an investment figure for the site.[^2] ## How many - Three companies bought or optioned land next to the plant, and one project was built.[^2] ## In the at-issue record **Pair AI-Sherburne-065.** This pair sets the 2019 announcement of a $600 million Google data center beside two later facts. The first is the Legislature's $20.5 million appropriation for the industrial park's water and sewer. The second is Google's December 2022 withdrawal after Xcel terminated the agreements.[^1] Its anchor is the presidential action *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse*. The pair cites that action for the case of public infrastructure appropriated for a private project that did not happen.[^3] **Pair AI-Sherburne-067.** This pair sets the three companies' land purchases and options beside the single project built. It also records Microsoft's $17.7 million purchase of 300 acres in February 2024 with no disclosed investment figure.[^2] It cites the same presidential action as its anchor, on the point that the replacement economy exists on deeds rather than on tax rolls.[^3] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who The project's link catalogue (row S-191) records that Ellison joined a multistate Google antitrust action. The row cites a Department of Justice press release.[^4] The pack does not carry the release's date, the court, the docket or the action's status. ### What The pack's pinned framing claim concerns a separate federal action against the State of [[Minnesota]], not Google. On January 14, 2026, the Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs issued release No. 26-21. Its title is *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime*.[^5] The release states that Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance.[^5] The project's catalogue of U.S.-government "regime" usages finds that no other U.S. state has been so described. The pack does not carry the complaint's docket, court, the statute or policy it challenges, or its status. The action is pending.[^5] (See [[Affirmative action]].) ## Notes [^1]: Sherburne Energy Brief, *At-issue pair AI-Sherburne-065* (year 2019) — Google's $600 million Sherco-site data center announced January 2019; $20.5 million appropriated for the industrial park's water and sewer; power affiliate gave no notice to proceed; Xcel terminated the agreements; Google withdrew December 2022. The pair rests on news reports (startribune.com; knsiradio.com) that are not among the pack's allowed URLs, and it lists no source URL of its own beyond its anchor (note 3). [^2]: Sherburne Energy Brief, *At-issue pair AI-Sherburne-067* (year 2024) — Google, Microsoft and Amazon bought or optioned land next to the Sherburne County coal plant; one project built; Microsoft paid $17.7 million for 300 acres in February 2024 and has disclosed no investment figure. The pair rests on news reports (datacenterdynamics.com; startribune.com) that are not among the pack's allowed URLs, and it lists no source URL of its own beyond its anchor (note 3). [^3]: The White House, *Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse* (March 2025) — presidential action cited as the anchor of both pairs. It does not itself document the Sherco facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^4]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, *press release on its suit against Google concerning digital advertising technology* (date not carried in the pack) — cited in claim:link row S-191 for Ellison joining the multistate Google antitrust action. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-google-monopolizing-multiple-digital-advertising-technology-products [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, release No. 26-21, *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's 'Affirmative Action' Regime* (January 14, 2026) — the release title; Attorney General Pamela Bondi's certification of the case as a matter of general public importance. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime