Valley City officials cite infrastructure gaps as barrier to data centers
Valley City, North Dakota officials are citing significant infrastructure gaps, particularly in electric transmission and generation, as major barriers to data center development in the region. Barnes County commissioners have enacted a six-month moratorium on new data centers to allow time for the development of guidelines. The discussion also highlighted challenges with private land deals and state laws that allow companies to keep project information private.
Valley City, North Dakota faces significant infrastructure challenges that could impede data center development, according to Valley City Administrator Gwen Crawford. Crawford emphasized a lack of adequate electric transmission and generation capacity as the primary obstacle.
In response to these concerns, Barnes County commissioners have implemented a six-month moratorium on new data centers. Jennifer Feist of Valley City-Barnes County Development supported this decision, viewing it as a necessary pause to allow time for the creation of suitable development guidelines for Barnes County. Feist expressed surprise regarding information circulating about a potential data center location in Southern Barnes County, noting that city, county, and planning and zoning officials had no prior knowledge of such a project.
Crawford also highlighted issues with private land deals, stating that the city's control is limited to within its city limits and a one-mile extraterritorial zone. Beyond that, the city has no jurisdiction over development. Feist added that North Dakota state law permits companies to keep sensitive information, such as location, company name, and financing, private unless it has been previously released publicly. Despite these legal limitations, Crawford affirmed the city's commitment to transparency, aligning with the governor's emphasis on open communication, and indicated that North Dakota lawmakers may address data center transparency in their upcoming session.