Applied Digital Advances Construction on Polaris Forge 2 Data Center in Harwood, North Dakota
Applied Digital is nearing completion on its Polaris Forge 2 AI data center campus in Harwood, North Dakota, a $3 billion project approved by the city council in 2025. The two large buildings, which will house AI infrastructure, are expected to become partially operational by late 2026. The facility, a 280-megawatt data center, has drawn past opposition due to concerns about its electricity consumption, but Applied Digital is investing in significant electrical infrastructure upgrades.
Construction is rapidly progressing on Applied Digital's Polaris Forge 2 data center, an AI infrastructure facility located in Harwood, North Dakota, north of Fargo. The campus comprises two 907,000-square-foot buildings, which will eventually house computers dedicated to artificial intelligence. David Nehring, director of local and regional affairs for Applied Digital in the Midwest, described the scale as "like a small city."
The Harwood City Council approved the $3 billion project on September 10, 2025, making it Applied Digital's third in the state, with another facility nearing completion in Ellendale and one in Jamestown. The Polaris Forge 2 site is a 280-megawatt data center that will draw electricity from Cass County Electric, with Applied Digital paying $112 million for substation and transmission upgrades. Partial operations are anticipated by the end of 2026, with full completion expected in early 2027.
The project has not been without controversy; the Harwood facility attracted protesters concerned about its large electricity usage potentially driving up costs for residents. However, Applied Digital emphasizes a closed-loop cooling system that it claims will use minimal water, comparable to a household. The company also states the facility includes silencing equipment and sound barriers to mitigate noise, with the closest home about a half-mile away.
Upon completion, the data center is expected to employ 200 to 250 people. Nick Phillips, executive vice president of public affairs for Applied Digital, estimated the company could become North Dakota's largest single taxpayer by 2029, and noted that the Harwood project is not receiving any tax incentives or abatements.