# North Dakota Data Center Moratorium Tracker Source: https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/north-dakota Markdown alternate of the page above; the site index is https://savrn.com/llms.txt --- 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. Last updated October 2026 5 state-level measures 7 local measures 12 primary sources North Dakota ND In force 5 State-level measures on record, 1 in force 7 City and county measures, 2 in force 12 Primary sources cited on this page #36 of 50 states with anything on record, by measure count ## 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. Barnes County 2026-05 In force Six-month data center moratorium Commissioners placed a six-month moratorium on potential data centers (reported May 19, 2026) while the county sets development guidelines. Morton County 2024-09 In force Morton County data center moratorium Morton County adopted a moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities in September 2024. The moratorium prevents permitting of these facilities until the county establishes local zoning regulations. The action came alongside a moratorium on direct air carbon capture facilities (adopted July 2024) after controversy over a Colorado company's special use permit application. County officials stated the moratoriums aim to develop local land use protections for residents, not block development entirely. Durbin Township 2026-10 Proposed Moratorium on data centers The Durbin Township Board is considering a moratorium on data centers following discussions with Geronimo Power about potential development; a special meeting was held on October 7, 2026, and a follow-up meeting is scheduled for October 14, 2026, to consider the measure. Harmony Township 2026-09 Proposed Moratorium on data centers The Harmony Township Board voted to begin the process of considering a moratorium on data centers on Sept. 22, 2026, one week after Geronimo Power submitted a conditional use permit application for the Harmony Energy Park data center campus. The board is reviewing recent ordinance changes made while former board chair Tom Roden was in office, and no action will likely be taken on the application while the moratorium review is ongoing. Harmony Township (Cass County) 2026-09 Proposed Proposed two-year zoning moratorium covering data centers On Sept. 22, 2026 the Harmony Township Board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on a proposed two-year zoning moratorium on industrial-scale development, including data centers, solar, wind, battery storage, transmission lines and gas-fired generation. The proposal follows Geronimo Power's effort to build a data center in the township near Mapleton. The moratorium itself has not been adopted. Mercer County 2026-03 Failed / vetoed One-year data center moratorium (lifted) A one-year moratorium adopted 3-2 on March 3, 2026 amid a NextEra/Basin Electric proposal was lifted in July 2026 after the county adopted permanent data center, wind and solar zoning ordinances. Oliver County 2024-12 Failed / vetoed Oliver County data center moratorium (failed) Over 200 people packed the Betty Hagel Memorial Civic Center in Center, ND as Oliver County leaders debated a proposed moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining. The Oliver County Commission voted 3-0 to adopt a moratorium on December 12, 2024, suspending development of all data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities. The Planning & Zoning Board had previously passed the moratorium unanimously. The purpose is to allow the county adequate time to conduct research and develop standards to guide future development. Nearby Mercer County also voted 3-2 to suspend data center development for one year, as concerns spread across western North Dakota. The project involves the Applied Digital proposal. ## Would you like the weekly update? Every week we re-verify every state and local measure on this map and publish what changed. You get one email when it goes out. Also send me Receive a short introduction on days 3, 7 and 14, plus the updates you select. Unsubscribe in one click. [Privacy](https://savrn.com/privacy) · You're on the list. The next weekly update will land in your inbox when it publishes. You are subscribed. [Read the latest tracker](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker) ### 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 (In force, 2025-01) [ndlegis.gov →](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1579.html) - 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 (Failed / vetoed, 2021-02) [ndlegis.gov →](http://www.ndlegis.gov/assembly/67-2021/regular/bill-overview/bo2155.html) - 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 (Failed / vetoed, 2021-04) [ndlegis.gov →](http://www.ndlegis.gov/assembly/67-2021/regular/bill-overview/bo2137.html) - Statewide · SB 2406 — Penalties for data center nondisclosure agreements (Failed / vetoed, 2026-09) [northdakotamonitor.com →](https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/09/03/data-center-nondisclosure-bill-dies-in-north-dakota-senate-vote/) - Statewide · Data center permitting moratorium (September 2026 special session, not introduced) — Proposed temporary pause on data center permitting through June 2027 (Failed / vetoed, 2026-09) [inforum.com →](https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/attempts-to-add-data-center-moratorium-to-north-dakota-special-session-fail) - Barnes County — Six-month data center moratorium (In force, 2026-05) [newsdakota.com →](https://www.newsdakota.com/2026/05/19/data-center-moratorium-on-barnes-county-commission-agenda/) - Morton County — Morton County data center moratorium (In force, 2024-09) [govtech.com →](https://www.govtech.com/policy/morton-county-n-d-will-consider-data-center-moratorium) - Durbin Township — Moratorium on data centers (Proposed, 2026-10) [inforum.com →](https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/durbin-township-board-to-consider-data-center-moratorium) - Harmony Township — Moratorium on data centers (Proposed, 2026-09) [inforum.com →](https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/permit-application-outlines-geronimo-powers-intentions-for-cass-countys-2nd-data-center) - Harmony Township (Cass County) — Proposed two-year zoning moratorium covering data centers (Proposed, 2026-09) [inforum.com →](https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/harmony-township-board-to-consider-2-year-data-center-moratorium) - Mercer County — One-year data center moratorium (lifted) (Failed / vetoed, 2026-03) [centralnordak.com →](https://www.centralnordak.com/articles/data-center-moratorium-lifted-in-mercer-county/) - Oliver County — Oliver County data center moratorium (failed) (Failed / vetoed, 2024-12) [bismarcktribune.com →](https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-regional/article_7008bcf1-5d9d-4007-96c7-a2f8bf697d75.html) [See all 1419 sources across every state →](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/sources) ## 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. SPPDominant Speed in exchange for curtailability under the approved HILL framework. MISO Faster parallel studies and a co-located generation fast track, not a pause. 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. [See the full Data Center Grid Operator Watchlist →](https://savrn.com/data-center-grid-operator-watchlist) ## 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. [Minnesota 40](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/minnesota) [South Dakota 9](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/south-dakota) [Montana 7](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/montana) ## 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 →](https://savrn.com/data-center-map/north-dakota) · [The US Data Center Map →](https://savrn.com/data-center-map) [Alabama](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/alabama) [Alaska](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/alaska) [Arizona](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/arizona) [Arkansas](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/arkansas) [California](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/california) [Colorado](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/colorado) [Connecticut](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/connecticut) [Delaware](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/delaware) [Florida](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/florida) [Georgia](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/georgia) [Hawaii](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/hawaii) [Idaho](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/idaho) [Illinois](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/illinois) [Indiana](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/indiana) [Iowa](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/iowa) [Kansas](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/kansas) [Kentucky](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/kentucky) [Louisiana](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/louisiana) [Maine](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/maine) [Maryland](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/maryland) [Massachusetts](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/massachusetts) [Michigan](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/michigan) [Minnesota](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/minnesota) [Mississippi](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/mississippi) [Missouri](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/missouri) [Montana](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/montana) [Nebraska](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/nebraska) [Nevada](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/nevada) [New Hampshire](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/new-hampshire) [New Jersey](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/new-jersey) [New Mexico](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/new-mexico) [New York](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/new-york) [North Carolina](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/north-carolina) [North Dakota](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/north-dakota) [Ohio](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/ohio) [Oklahoma](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/oklahoma) [Oregon](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/oregon) [Pennsylvania](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/pennsylvania) [Rhode Island](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/rhode-island) [South Carolina](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/south-carolina) [South Dakota](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/south-dakota) [Tennessee](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/tennessee) [Texas](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/texas) [Utah](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/utah) [Vermont](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/vermont) [Virginia](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/virginia) [Washington](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/washington) [Washington, DC](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/washington-dc) [West Virginia](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/west-virginia) [Wisconsin](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/wisconsin) [Wyoming](https://savrn.com/data-center-moratorium-tracker/wyoming) ### 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](https://savrn.com/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](https://savrn.com/contact). Companion references: the [Data Center Grid Operator Watchlist](https://savrn.com/data-center-grid-operator-watchlist) for the interconnection and curtailment rules that bind here, the [Data Center Water Tracker](https://savrn.com/data-center-water-tracker) for water mandates, and the [Data Center Delay Watchlist](https://savrn.com/data-center-delay-tracker) 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](https://savrn.com/system) [Talk to us about a North Dakota site](https://savrn.com/engage)