North Dakota ag commissioner candidates differ on data center development
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and challenger Vern Thompson agree that local governments should decide where data centers are built, but they differ over the state’s role in regulating development. Thompson called for slower development, more zoning guidance, community benefit agreements and water-use studies, while Goehring emphasized property rights and legislative authority.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Democratic-NPL challenger Vern Thompson offered differing views on how the state should address data center growth during their campaign. Both said property owners should be able to sell land and local governments should control siting decisions, while expressing concern about placing facilities on prime farmland.
Thompson said the Industrial Commission and state government should provide stronger guidance, including a framework for responsible hyperscale development, additional zoning rules, community benefit agreements and decommissioning bonds. He also raised concerns about the electricity and water demands associated with powering artificial intelligence data centers and supported a water-use study. Goehring said regulation should come from the Legislature, argued that North Dakota has abundant water, and said developers should be encouraged to use lower-value agricultural land and mitigate impacts such as noise.