McFeely: You have no chance in data center fight, ND residents
North Dakota state officials are actively promoting data center development, dismissing local concerns as "misinformation." This stance is creating a divide between state leadership, who view data centers as beneficial for the energy industry, and local residents and county officials worried about environmental impacts and electricity costs. The article suggests a future of large data center complexes in North Dakota, with state power overriding local opposition.
North Dakota state officials are accused of prioritizing tech billionaires and data center developers over local residents, often dismissing concerns about new artificial intelligence data centers as "misinformation." Columnist Mike McFeely of InForum criticizes state politicians and regulators for being in "lockstep" with developers, suggesting they undermine local county commissioners by implying they "don't have the tools" to evaluate such projects. McFeely argues this approach mirrors the controversial Bakken oil boom where dissent was suppressed.
Doug Burgum, former North Dakotan and current U.S. Secretary of Oil, reportedly dismissed data center concerns, asserting that they could greatly benefit the state's coal and natural gas industries. McFeely interprets this as the state prioritizing energy company profits over residents' quality of life. The column contrasts this with Minnesota, where legislators proposed outlawing non-disclosure agreements and enacting a two-year permitting moratorium, and Utah, where developer Kevin O'Leary is pushing a large data center complex with state backing, bypassing local input.
McFeely predicts a future of massive data center complexes in North Dakota, similar to the Utah proposal, contending that the state government is "greasing the wheels" for AI billionaires and that local North Dakotans will be powerless to stop it, regardless of their opinions.