North Dakotans Look for Answers as Questions on Data Centers Mount
From North Dakota News Cooperative:
North Dakota is attempting to play-catch up to a nationwide data center development boom moving faster than rules or public input can keep pace.
Driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, the new wave of hyperscale data centers has caused some state officials and communities to question whether they are worth the potential costs versus the benefits.
According to the U.S. Data Center Map, an online tool tracking data center development across the country, North Dakota currently has 12 operational data centers, with six under construction and another 15 planned or proposed.
These projects are exposing gaps between the pace of private development
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Vern Thompson, a Dem-NPL candidate for agriculture commissioner, said it is especially important for local communities with worries about long-term risk to get a decommissioning agreement from projects up front.
“Let’s slow down, let’s look through,” Thompson said. “"If it’s a good project, it can wait for a bit.”
