North Dakota
North Dakota's 2026 data-center oversight is emerging: several western/central county moratoria (Mercer, Dunn; Oliver adopted then repealed) driven by NextEra NDA-shrouded land buys, a new Interim AI & Data Center Committee to prep 2027 legislation, and Applied Digital's large Ellendale campus expanding — but no statewide regime (the Legislature was not in session in 2026) (Route Fifty/ND Monitor, National Today — Mercer).
ILens Signals
Civic/Governance Barriers activates on moratorium-class action (C1) — governance instruments on the electoral, legislative, and regulatory surface (protocol §10; Overview Civic breakout). Energy/Power (grid interconnection, on-site backup generation, western coal-country siting) and Water/Geology (water consumption, a stated study focus) are the primary drivers (Route Fifty). NDA-shrouded land assembly, questions about who bears grid costs, and the scale of Applied Digital's $5B hyperscaler lease remain landowner/fiscal-risk concerns the 2027 committee will examine, but no live cost-allocation dispute has yet materialized (DCD).
IIKey 2026 Races
None identified as data-center-defined. The clearest local signal is Oliver County Commission candidate Mike Berg, who called the new state study committee 'too little, too late' and a possible 'PR stunt,' stressing local siting control (Route Fifty); no statewide/federal ND race centers on the issue.
IIIMoratorium · Ban Status
No statewide moratorium; a cluster of enacted county moratoria. Mercer County adopted a one-year moratorium on new AI data-center permits on March 4, 2026 (amid NextEra NDA-shrouded land purchases) (National Today, Interconnected Capital). Dunn County approved a 12-month moratorium (data centers, solar, battery storage) on March 24, 2026 (Dakota News Network). Oliver County adopted a 180-day moratorium March 13, 2026, then repealed it ~April 30, 2026 at a special meeting — Applied Digital filed a rezoning May 2 (Interconnected Capital, KXNET via YouTube).
IVRatepayer · Cost-Shift Legislation
No 2026 ratepayer statute (biennial legislature not in session; per ION Analytics ND had no 2026 data-center bill on the table because it was not in session) (ION Analytics). Prior enacted law: HB 1539 (2025) exempted large (>50 MW) on-site backup generation not connected to the grid from PSC Siting Act review (effective Aug. 1, 2025) (ND Governor). Ratepayer/cost issues are slated for the 2027 session via the new Interim AI & Data Center Committee (Route Fifty).
VBallot Measures
None identified. No Nov. 2026 North Dakota data-center ballot measure was identified.
VITop Contested Sites
Applied Digital 'Polaris Forge 1' campus, Ellendale (Dickey County): the state's flagship AI/HPC campus, which on June 24, 2026 secured a $5B, 15-year lease with a hyperscaler and continues expansion (DCD — Applied Digital $5bn lease, ND Governor). NextEra/Boulevard Associates land assemblies (~530+ acres, NDA-shrouded) in Mercer County drove that moratorium (Interconnected Capital). Oliver County ('Center' area) is an active flashpoint (Route Fifty).
VIITalent · Workforce
Not a leading ND stressor; the Applied Digital expansion pairs with a housing project in Ellendale but no distinct labor-organizing or jobs-delivered dispute rose to prominence (ND Governor).
VIIIData Center Cluster Size
IXKey Quote
"The decisions the Legislature makes in 2027 regular session will shape how the technology lands in our communities for the next two decades." — Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot) (Route Fifty).