North Dakota Data Center News

Apr 23, 2026

‘Beneficiary Pays’ Model Gains Traction With Lawmakers

Rep. Julie Fedorchak said Congress could require companies driving demand for new transmission lines to pay for them.

Main announcement: Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) proposed that companies driving demand for new transmission lines should pay for those lines, and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) backed cost allocation with a call for clear criteria for distributing costs.
Details & context: Fedorchak outlined a three-step approach: stabilize the grid by slowing plant retirements, optimize existing transmission with higher-capacity lines, and enact permitting reform for long-term expansion; Peters supported improved transmission planning but opposed keeping expired plants online, urging private-sector replacement of retired generation. Congress is reported to be close to a deal and lawmakers warned the legislative window may be limited and will require bipartisan support.

Apr 23, 2026

3 things to know about data centers in Minnesota

Fresh Energy says data centers built in Minnesota must use clean energy, pay for needed grid infrastructure, and pilot waste-heat and other clean-heat technologies to avoid hindering the state’s decarbonization goals.

Main announcement/action: Fresh Energy calls for data centers to comply with Minnesota’s 100% clean electricity by 2040 law, to pay the full costs of any local electricity infrastructure upgrades (per the 2025 data center policy package), and to pilot clean-heat capture from server waste heat for local heating uses.
Background/details: The organization highlights that data centers in Minnesota should be powered largely by wind, solar, battery storage, and demand response programs, that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission must oversee rate design and integrated resource planning to prevent indirect rate impacts, and that references include Minnesota being 50% carbon-free for electricity and North Dakota examples of large loads affecting rates.

Apr 20, 2026

North Dakota Regulators Can’t Help Blumenthal on Data Center Oversight

The North Dakota Public Service Commission said it cannot provide key information to Sen. Richard Blumenthal because it does not regulate data centers.

Limited response to Blumenthal: The PSC will submit a response to Sen. Richard Blumenthal but said it “does not regulate” data centers and will limit the scope of information provided; Chair Randy Christmann warned against setting a precedent of responding to inquiries from all 535 members of Congress.
Approved temporary variance for power project: Regulators granted a temporary variance allowing site preparation (including grading) for a $110 million project — a new substation and a 1.74-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line to serve an Applied Digital facility expected to require up to 280 megawatts at peak; Minnkota Power Cooperative will own and operate the infrastructure and Applied Digital will fund the project upfront at no cost to other rate-payers; full project approval is pending.

Apr 2, 2026

States Race to Win the Tech Economy in 2026 State of the State Addresses

Broadband and technology were prioritized across nearly 30 governors’ 2026 State of the State addresses.

Main announcement: Governors across the country emphasized broadband expansion, AI policy and workforce development, and data center/energy planning; specific claims include Maine reporting “more than a quarter million homes and businesses” served, Wisconsin reporting 410,000 businesses and households with new or improved internet, Kansas connecting 117,000 households and businesses, and the Virgin Islands reporting a territory-wide internet program with over 50,000 users per month. The addresses also included concrete funding and contract figures: Maryland announced a $4 million AI workforce training investment, and South Dakota cited a $35 million Department of Defense contract for warhead production.
Background and other details: Governors described partnerships and policy actions: Maryland cited collaborations with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Microsoft, a South Korean biotech firm, and AstraZeneca for AI work; Iowa cited partnerships with Amazon Web Services and Google Public Sector to modernize state systems; several governors (Indiana, New York, Nebraska) debated who should shoulder data center energy costs or accelerate permitting; some states (New Hampshire, Delaware, South Carolina) signaled nuclear energy pathways and DOE engagement. Implementation timelines are those stated in addresses (2026) and referenced ongoing programs and contracts (e.g., South Dakota’s $35 million DoD contract already awarded).

Mar 13, 2026

Preparing Enterprise Data Centers for AI Adoption

The article provides analysis and planning guidance for enterprises on corporate data centre strategies to support AI and traditional computing.

Main analysis/action: The piece recommends that enterprises adopt a hybrid cloud/colocation/on-premises strategy and future-proof facilities (supporting air-cooled cabinets up to 35 kW and liquid cooling piping to enable 70–160 kW per cabinet later). It cites specific forecasts including a 2025 McKinsey report projecting almost $7 trillion in AI-related IT infrastructure spending through 2030 (broken into $3 trillion for data centers and $4 trillion for computing and telecom hardware).
Background and evidence: The article references surveys and reports (Uptime Institute 2025, BCG AI Radar 2026, Flexera 2025, AFCOM 2026, Cisco 2025) and provides concrete capacity/telecom considerations: AI training workloads often require 80–160 kW per cabinet and are sited in large, high-power campuses (sometimes remote, e.g., rural North Dakota), while AI inference typically needs 25–70 kW per cabinet and favors low-latency, high-reliability sites near corporate data and users. It recommends concrete planning steps (multi-disciplinary teams, third-party consultants, scoped milestones, cloud readiness analysis, and capex vs occupancy cost comparisons).

Mar 13, 2026

Landowners and Locals are Fighting AI Expansion of High-Voltage Power Lines

PPL has announced plans to build a 500-kilovolt transmission line (the 12-mile “Sugarloaf” project) that could cross John Zola’s 40-acre property in eastern Pennsylvania.

Project details and local action: The 12-mile Sugarloaf project would reuse and expand an existing corridor, involve 240-foot metal towers and require a wide corridor (up to 200-foot-wide in some projects); PPL serves more than 1.5 million customers, projects peak electricity demand to more than triple by 2030, has offered landowners cash payments (offers reported rising from $17,000 to $85,000 for one owner) and may pursue eminent domain if landowners refuse.
Background and national context: The article places the Sugarloaf dispute in a broader national trend driven by AI-era data center demand: a $1.7 billion proposed Pennsylvania-spanning line, a $22 billion Midwest transmission package under dispute, and utilities forecasting transmission spending to nearly $50 billion a year by 2028; opponents include landowners, conservationists, state regulators and regional stakeholders.

Mar 9, 2026

Babcock & Wilcox Will Deliver 1.2 GW of Gas-Fired Capacity for Applied Digital Data Centers

Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has received notice to proceed on a $2.4-billion design-build agreement with Base Electron to supply 1.2 GW of natural gas-fired capacity supporting Applied Digital’s AI data center campuses.

Main announcement: B&W will engineer, procure, and build four 300-MW natural gas-fired boiler and steam turbine generator systems (total 1.2 GW) supplied by Siemens Energy under a $2.4-billion design-build agreement with Base Electron to supply power for Applied Digital’s AI factory campuses; work already is underway.
Background and details: Applied Digital’s Delta Forge 1 (southern U.S.) is designed for initial 430 MW utility power (up to 300 MW critical IT load), with operations expected mid-2027; Applied Digital also has the Polaris program (a $3-billion, 700-MW complex expected online later this year) and is evaluating an option with Base Electron for an additional 1.2 GW of generation capacity.

Feb 25, 2026

Xcel–Google Pact Brings 1.9 GW of Clean Power, Iron-Air Battery to Minnesota

Xcel Energy has announced a partnership with Google to supply power to Google’s Pine Island data center and add 1,900 MW of new clean energy to the grid.

Main announcement: Xcel Energy and Google will add 1,900 MW of new clean energy (supported by a Clean Energy Accelerator Charge (CEAC)) comprising 1,400 MW wind, 200 MW solar, and 300 MW long-duration energy storage, and Google will cover all new grid infrastructure costs; the Electric Service Agreement will be filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in the coming weeks. The agreement also includes a $50 million investment in Xcel Energy’s Capacity*Connect Program to strengthen grid reliability.
Background and project details: The storage component includes a 300-MW (30-gigawatt-hour) iron-air battery from Form Energy (a 100-hour system, described as the largest battery project by GWh announced globally to date); Xcel reports its Minnesota mix is already 70% carbon-free and says residential bills remain below the national average. The agreement is presented as protecting existing customers from increased costs while enabling new large electricity loads.

Feb 20, 2026

Trump EPA to weaken rule limiting harmful mercury, air toxics from coal plants

The Trump administration announced it will roll back air regulations for coal-fired power plants limiting mercury and other hazardous air toxics.

Main action: The EPA under President Trump is rescinding/weakening elements of the Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) and rolling back related regulatory requirements, arguing easing standards will reduce costs for utilities and boost baseload energy to meet rising power demand (including from data centers). The administration previously issued an “energy emergency” proclamation and invited coal plants to request temporary exemptions; 68 plants received two-year exemptions under that process.
Background and concrete details: The Biden-era MATS update would have cut allowable mercury pollution by 70% and reduced emissions of nickel, arsenic, lead and other toxic metals by two-thirds, with estimated health cost savings of $420 million through 2037 (Environmental Defense Fund). The EPA has also repealed the “endangerment finding”, and the White House directed the Pentagon to purchase power from coal plants; coal plants produce less than 20% of U.S. electricity (EIA).

Feb 20, 2026

Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

This article analyzes shifting patterns in data center site selection in the United States and is an analytical overview rather than a new corporate or government announcement.

Main finding: Data center site selection is diversifying as power capacity expansion, long-haul fiber, streamlined permitting, and incentives reduce legacy clustering in hubs such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, and the greater Chicago area.
Drivers and trade-offs: The piece outlines six selection factors — Infrastructure, Demand Proximity, Economics, Governance, Risk and Resilience, and Community and Social License — and cites emerging markets in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Mississippi, alongside growing urban hubs like Boston and Denver.

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