North Dakota Data Center Moratorium Tracker
North Dakota has 1 state-level data-center restriction in force. 7 city and county measures are tracked here, 2 of them in force. Every entry below links to its primary source: a legislature page, a governor's office, a local government, or the reporting of record.
State-level measures in North Dakota
Every statewide moratorium, pause, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback in North Dakota we can verify against a primary source. Strongest status first.
| Measure | Status | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1579North Dakota's HB 1579, originally introduced to create a state siting process for large electricity users (50+ MW), was significantly amended | In force 2025-01 | North Dakota's HB 1579, originally introduced to create a state siting process for large electricity users (50+ MW), was significantly amended, the siting process was stripped and replaced with a mandate for an interim legislative study on the impact of large energy consumers on the state's electrical grid. Passed House 89-3, Senate 46-0. Signed April 28, 2025. Signed into law on April 29, 2025. | |
| SB 2155Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center | Failed / vetoed 2021-02 | North Dakota SB 2155 (67): Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center; and to provide an effective date. Last action 2021-02-18: Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 1 nays 46. | |
| SB 2137Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center | Failed / vetoed 2021-04 | North Dakota SB 2137 (67): Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center; and to provide an effective date. Last action 2021-04-23: Filed with Secretary Of State 04/22. | |
| SB 2406Penalties for data center nondisclosure agreements | Failed / vetoed 2026-09 | Would have attached consequences for data center developers that enter nondisclosure agreements with public agencies or officials. A joint House-Senate policy committee gave it a do-not-pass recommendation on Sept. 2, 2026 after amending it to preserve confidentiality agreements for sensitive information, and the Senate rejected the bill 32 to 15 on Sept. 3, 2026 during a special session. Gov. Armstrong testified that existing transparency law was already sufficient. | |
| Data center permitting moratorium (September 2026 special session, not introduced)Proposed temporary pause on data center permitting through June 2027 | Failed / vetoed 2026-09 | On September 2, 2026, during a special session, Rep. Gretchen Dobervich (D-Fargo) moved to introduce a bill led by Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) that would have paused data center permitting through June 2027. The House rejected the motion 68-25, and Senate Majority Leader David Hogue blocked consideration in the Senate, where adding bills to the special session required unanimous consent. The bill was never formally introduced. This is separate from SB 2406, a nondisclosure-agreement bill the Senate rejected 32-15. |
City and county moratoria in North Dakota
Most of the movement is local, where a building pause or permit halt does not need a legislative session. 7 tracked measures in North Dakota, each with its source.
Where North Dakota stands
Across the whole tracker we hold 334 state-level measures in 49 states and 1253 city and county measures, against 1419 primary sources. North Dakota accounts for 5 of the state-level measures and 7 of the local ones.
By total measures on record it is #36 of the 50 states and DC carrying any tracked action, and #34 by city and county measures alone. Ranking is by count of sourced entries in this dataset, so it measures documented activity, not the size of the buildout.
Sources for North Dakota
12 citations behind the entries above. Each opens in a new tab.
- Statewide · HB 1579 — North Dakota's HB 1579, originally introduced to create a state siting process for large electricity users (50+ MW), was significantly amended ndlegis.gov →
- Statewide · SB 2155 — Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center ndlegis.gov →
- Statewide · SB 2137 — Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for enterprise information technology equipment and computer software purchased for use in a qualified data center ndlegis.gov →
- Statewide · SB 2406 — Penalties for data center nondisclosure agreements northdakotamonitor.com →
- Statewide · Data center permitting moratorium (September 2026 special session, not introduced) — Proposed temporary pause on data center permitting through June 2027 inforum.com →
- Barnes County — Six-month data center moratorium newsdakota.com →
- Morton County — Morton County data center moratorium govtech.com →
- Durbin Township — Moratorium on data centers inforum.com →
- Harmony Township — Moratorium on data centers inforum.com →
- Harmony Township (Cass County) — Proposed two-year zoning moratorium covering data centers inforum.com →
- Mercer County — One-year data center moratorium (lifted) centralnordak.com →
- Oliver County — Oliver County data center moratorium (failed) bismarcktribune.com →
What does bind large loads in North Dakota
A moratorium is only one way a data center gets stopped. The grid operator decides whether it can connect at all, and on what terms. North Dakota sits in 2 footprints.
SPP is the primary balancing authority (west/central incl. Basin, MDU, WAPA); eastern ND (Xcel Fargo, Otter Tail, Minnkota area) is MISO — per ND Legislative Council/OpenEI.
States next door
3 of the 3 states bordering North Dakota have at least one data-center measure on record. Restrictions tend to travel between neighbors, so this is usually where the next one comes from.
Data centers in North Dakota
The US Data Center Map identifies 26 facilities run by 10 operators in North Dakota, each one placed from primary sources and listed by city and by operator, with the measures on this page beside them.
Open the North Dakota data center map → · The US Data Center Map →
How to read this page
In force = a moratorium, siting restriction, or tax-incentive rollback that is currently enacted, by statute or executive order. Paused = a temporary hold on new incentives or applications. Proposed = introduced and still pending. Failed / vetoed = died in committee, was voted down, or was vetoed.
This page is generated from the same primary-sourced dataset as the national U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker and is re-checked on the same weekly cycle, whether or not anything changed. Legislative status changes quickly; it is informational, not legal advice. Spot something out of date in North Dakota? Tell us.
Companion references: the Data Center Grid Operator Watchlist for the interconnection and curtailment rules that bind here, the Data Center Water Tracker for water mandates, and the Data Center Delay Watchlist for named projects.
Why North Dakota is pushing back
The objections repeat from state to state: strain on the electric grid, water drawn for cooling, and the sense that a facility takes local resources without giving much back. SAVRN builds AI factories designed around those three objections: on-site power that does not lean on the public grid, direct-to-chip cooling that does not consume municipal water, and a training institute that puts local people to work inside the building.
See how a SAVRN factory works Talk to us about a North Dakota site