North Dakota Data Center Intel

Recent North Dakota data center news

• 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.
• Feb 20, 2026

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

  The article analyzes a shift in U.S. data center site selection toward greater geographic diversity, including more rural builds.

  • Main finding: The piece argues that as regions expand power capacity, extend long‑haul fiber, and streamline permitting and incentives, legacy hub advantages (e.g., Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, greater Chicago) are weakening and site selection is diversifying toward a wider set of geographies, including rural areas.
  • Supporting details: The analysis lists core site-selection factors — infrastructure, demand proximity, economics, governance, risk and resilience, and community/social license — and cites emerging growth markets and examples such as parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Utah, while noting new urban hubs like Boston and Denver; it also references multi-decade grid requirements and decades of legacy investment in hubs.
• Feb 5, 2026

  What’s up with data centers in Minnesota?

  Fresh Energy calls on Minnesota regulators and the Public Utilities Commission to adopt policies ensuring data center development benefits Minnesotans and aligns with the state’s 100% clean electricity by 2040 law.

  • Main announcement / action: Fresh Energy urges the Commission to implement better load forecasting, rate design (large-load tariffs), and transparency on water and behind-the-meter generation to ensure data centers pay their fair share; Minnesota currently has 13 operating data centers with 43 MW of capacity and 12 planned projects totaling 1,120 MW (as of January 2026). Key regulatory actions already in motion include Xcel Energy’s large-load tariff filed July 2025 and the Commission requiring Dakota Electric to file an additional tariff in December 2025.

  • Background and details: Fresh Energy cites national context such as data center investment growth from $13.8 billion to $41.2 billion per year and nearly 100 GW of proposed behind-the-meter gas plants nationwide; it recommends using IRP updates, stochastic/scenario-based forecasting, and tariff rate classes so utilities do not overbuild infrastructure or shift costs to residential customers.

• Jan 27, 2026

  Applied Digital CEO Wes Cummins On the Hard Part of the AI Boom: Execution

  Applied Digital describes scaling from a single 100 MW facility to roughly 700 MW under construction and explains its strategy to lock supply chains and design flexible, AI-optimized infrastructure.

  • Main announcement/action: Applied Digital says it has ~700 MW under construction (up from a single 100 MW building), locked key MEP components 18–24 months ago, and is deploying a fourth-generation design with extensive off-site MEP assembly (“LEGO brick” skids) to accelerate schedules and reduce on-site labor risk.
  • Background and details: The company operates direct-to-chip liquid cooling at scale in Ellendale, North Dakota with multi-layer redundancy (pumps, chillers, dual loops, thermal storage); aligns designs to the Nvidia roadmap (415V → 800V → eventual DC), focuses on six customers (Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Meta, Google, CoreWeave), and warns 2026–2027 will be execution years due to long-lead power gear, utility timelines, and tight MEP supply chains.