Harwood Voters Reject Data Center Development Restrictions

Voters in Harwood, North Dakota, rejected a ballot measure that would have imposed stricter limitations and independent reviews on large-scale industrial developments. Approximately 75% of the 430 votes cast opposed the initiative, which sought to amend the city's home rule charter to limit projects like data centers.

Applied Digital Corp. is currently overseeing the construction of a 160-acre data center in the town for Oracle. The ballot measure was championed by Michael Swartz and the grassroots group Voices of Harwood, who raised concerns regarding transparency and noise pollution. Swartz argued that the long-term implications of such developments had not been fully vetted or addressed at the necessary scale.

Town officials and the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce campaigned against the measure, warning that it could increase taxpayer costs and jeopardize tax benefits. Mayor Blake Hankey opposed the initiative, estimating that the data center would generate $1.65 million in taxes by 2028. Harwood was the only town among 45 U.S. jurisdictions to vote on data center development during the recent midterm elections.