Grand Forks-area legislative candidates weigh in on data center issues
Grand Forks-area legislative candidates offered differing views on how North Dakota should regulate data centers, including transparency, utility costs, water use and local zoning control. The Legislature recently rejected a proposal to ban nondisclosure agreements between data center developers and government entities, while some candidates support a temporary moratorium or stronger requirements for infrastructure and consumer protections.
Grand Forks Herald surveyed 15 candidates for North Dakota legislative seats serving the Grand Forks area about whether the state should take aggressive action to regulate data centers. Candidates broadly cited concerns about transparency, electricity demand, water use, infrastructure costs, tax incentives and the effect of utility rates on residents, while differing over the appropriate balance between state oversight and local control.
The Legislature rejected a proposal during its September special session that would have barred government entities from signing nondisclosure agreements with developers. Several candidates called for similar restrictions, model standards and stronger consumer protections, while others emphasized local zoning authority and case-by-case decisions. Applied Digital was identified as having requested confidentiality agreements for its Ellendale and Harwood projects; the company is also paying for a $110 million Harwood-area power project. Some candidates advocated a temporary moratorium or requirements that developers fund added power and infrastructure capacity, but no statewide moratorium was enacted.