North Dakota Officials Urge Expansion of Data Center Industry

Industry leaders and local officials advocated for the expansion of data centers in North Dakota during a panel discussion on September 9 at the Lignite Energy Council’s annual conference in Bismarck. Panelists argued that these facilities increase property tax bases, drive population growth, and create new opportunities for the state's coal and gas energy resources.

Don Flaherty, the Mayor of Ellendale, highlighted the impact of Applied Digital's presence in his city. He noted that the company is expected to bring 300 to 350 full-time employees and increase the local population by 400 to 600 people over five years. Applied Digital is projected to become the largest property taxpayer in the state by 2028 or 2029, contributing more than $25 million annually.

Speakers addressed public concerns regarding facility size, water usage, and noise, attributing some of the criticism to social media misinformation. They promoted a partnership model between government and business to mitigate community strain and leverage the high power requirements of data centers to support local energy production.