Area’s cool climate may be a benefit

Now, local leaders are exploring a trend by companies that operate “super computers” that need to be cooled and are being located in cold climates.

Tim “Chopper” McBride, International Falls city councilor and president of the city’s Economic Development Authority, says certain aspects of northern Minnesota may be applicable to the operation of super computers.

“They are so huge and generate so much heat, companies are finding it very pricey to air condition buildings,” said McBride.

Borderland, says McBride, offers cooler natural temperatures about eight months of each year than most areas where companies with super computers are located.

Paul Nevanen, director of the Koochiching Economic Development Authority, notes that Google recently sited a data center in a former paper mill facility in a small community in Finland to accommodate the need for cooler temperatures and space.

Nevanen said he’s contacted a few people involved with data centers that use super computers to find out about their needs.

Among the requirements of the companies are a need for redundant high speed telecommunications and the ability to cool the computers, which use and give off a lot of energy.

In addition, he said the companies also look for an area not prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, wildfires, and hurricanes.

“So places in the upper Midwest seem natural, given those requirements,” said Nevanen.

Nevanen said he’s begun to identify companies that may be interested in locating to cooler climates because of their computer needs.

A company from Iowa recently located a branch in Duluth, citing the Middle Mile fiber capacity, which Nevanen notes is bound for Koochiching County, “so we will have that piece in place as well.”

The Minnesota Northeast Service Cooperative’s Middle Mile Fiber Project is a broadband infrastructure project designed to make world-class Internet speed available to the public sector as well as to private sector technology service providers in unserved and underserved rural areas of northeast Minnesota.

The project will connect critical service anchor sites including state, county, higher education, school districts, libraries and health care within eight Minnesota counties, including St. Louis, Lake, Cook, Koochiching, Carlton, Pine, Itasca and Aitkin and spanning 38 communities, 85 townships and three reservations.

All facilities should be fully online by the end of February into early March, and approximately 160 “critical” institution sites will be connected to the ring starting around March 2012. New phases of the construction will get under way in spring 2012. This will include connecting the North Shore routes to Grand Portage, McGregor and International Falls.

Nevanen also said several of the super computer data centers have been sited around universities because of the talent pool they offer.

“We’re in the initial phases, at least, in understanding who the major players are, other requirements and how to position ourselves to get in front of (the companies),” said Nevanen.

A Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development program offers tax incentives to certain size facilities for data centers, he said.

“A lot of us are just looking at this as an opportunity,” he said. “So we can say here, again, our geography makes sense, our climate for a change makes sense, we’re served by an airport and have all the amenities that would be attractive to potential data centers. We’re trying to go after something that would make sense here.”

The data centers of one company are often spread apart geographically to protect them from failure, he said.

“Google is pretty important, and if they’re looking at a place in Finland, why not a place in northern Minnesota?” asked Nevanen.