Hundreds of people gather for data center meeting in Mandan
Hundreds of residents gathered in Mandan, North Dakota, for a community meeting to discuss concerns about a proposed data center near Mandan High School. The City of Mandan recently released a new data center ordinance, set for discussion by the city commission on August 24th. Organizer Signe Snortland called for developers to be more transparent and for a one-year moratorium on data center construction.
On Thursday evening, hundreds of residents gathered at Mandan High School in Mandan, North Dakota, for a community meeting to discuss a proposed data center project. The planned facility, located less than two miles from the high school, has become a significant point of discussion within the community.
Earlier this week, the City of Mandan released its new data center ordinance, which is scheduled for discussion at a city commission meeting on August 24th. The community meeting, organized by state legislature candidate Signe Snortland, aimed to address public concerns ahead of this official discussion.
Snortland emphasized the need for greater transparency from developers regarding their full development plans, suggesting that non-disclosure agreements for elected officials should be forbidden. She also advocated for a one-year moratorium on data center construction, echoing a proposal from Verne Thompson, to allow cities and counties sufficient time to establish appropriate ordinances. Snortland plans to host another community meeting after the August 24th ordinance hearing.
Additionally, the North Dakota State Legislature's interim AI committee has scheduled a meeting for August 1st, which will be entirely dedicated to the topic of data centers, further highlighting the statewide attention on this issue.