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Data centers in North Dakota: 8 projects mapped
Most of North Dakota's data center building is by one company, Applied Digital. It runs a 106-megawatt center in Jamestown, has put about $5 billion into its Ellendale campus in Dickey County, where about 1,900 construction workers were on site in May, and is building a $3 billion, 280-megawatt AI campus at Harwood outside Fargo. It has also proposed a fourth site in Oliver County, where executive Nick Phillips said it has met its strongest opposition.
In Mandan, Stark Power plans a data center and gas-fired power plant north of Interstate 94, a short distance from Red Trail Elementary, Mandan Middle School and Mandan High School. The company has not applied yet; it is waiting for Mandan and Morton County to finish writing data center rules. "I feel that sometimes it's hard to stop a train, but I think that we have to not quit trying to stop the train," said neighbor Terry Mastel. Stark Power says the project would bring about 150 full-time jobs.
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Dunn County commissioners passed a 12-month moratorium in March on data centers, solar farms and battery storage so staff can write permit rules. NextEra has proposed a data center in neighboring Mercer County, and Critical Data House one at Williston. The state's sales tax break on data center equipment has grown from $5.4 million in 2021 to more than $65 million in 2025, Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus told lawmakers.
At a special session in September, the Senate rejected a bill to ban secrecy agreements between data center developers and local officials, and a proposal to stop local data center permits through June 2027 did not advance. Majority lawmakers say they will take up data centers when the Legislature meets in January.
6 counties with tracked projects
Only places with at least one project have a page.
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Moratoriums and bans in effect
Places in North Dakota that have paused or banned new data centers.
| Place | Type | Started | Ends | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | Moratorium | Mar 24, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Mercer County | Moratorium | Mar 4, 2026 | Mar 4, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
| Morton County | Moratorium | Sep 1, 2024 | No end date | Record off site ↗ |
Zoning limits on data centers
Rules short of a pause: setbacks, noise caps, permit requirements and district limits.
| Place | Type | Started | Ends | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stutsman County | Zoning limits | Feb 3, 2026 | No end date | Record off site ↗ |
| Williams County | Zoning limits | Jan 2, 2024 | No end date | Record off site ↗ |
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.