Data centers
in North Dakota

What these facilities do to a community, where the decisions get made, and what standards would make the good outcome the likely one.

North Dakota is attracting large data center investment because power is cheap here, the cold climate cuts cooling costs, and land is available near transmission. Those advantages are real. The rules governing these facilities were written before hyperscale computing existed, and communities are filling that gap one county at a time. These two documents are meant to help.

FOR RESIDENTS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

What the numbers mean

A plain-language explainer. What a megawatt looks like in household terms, why the cooling system matters more than almost anything else, why neighbors complain about noise, what happens when a facility closes, and the tax trade in both directions. Plus the five places decisions actually get made and what you can do about them.

Read the explainer FOR LEGISLATORS AND POLICY STAFF

Seven standards for the 2027 session

A discussion draft. Water efficiency, decommissioning security modeled on North Dakota's existing oil and gas reclamation bonding, large load cost allocation, and four supporting measures. Each includes what it protects, what it would require, drafting intent, and draft language.

Read the bill briefing
Both documents are drafts and both invite correction. Sources and a confidence note for each figure appear at the bottom of each page. Items that could not be verified at a primary source are marked as such. If something here is wrong, the fastest way to improve it is to say so.