Power Supply Chain and Demand in North Dakota
SPP runs most of North Dakota's grid. 2,681 MW of new generation is planned in North Dakota, 240 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 26 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 12.36¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +7.4% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, and construction employment is +6.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 5 local moratoria or restrictions for North Dakota across all statuses (2 in force) and 1 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in North Dakota
North Dakota is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. Planned generation equals 24% of the power plants North Dakota runs today, one of the steepest build-outs in the country (13th). Power and communication line construction jobs grew 36.7% from 2019 to 2025 (13th of 44). Developers have announced $26.9B of data center capital in North Dakota, 17th among the 31 states with a disclosed figure. Households pay part of the cost: residential prices are +7.4% year to date, the 26th fastest increase of 51.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 29.2k | 31.2k | ▲ 6.8% | 37th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,105 | 4,572 | ▲ 11.4% | 33rd of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 812 | 1,110 | ▲ 36.7% | 13th of 44 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 2.2% | 2.2% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 11.51¢ | 12.36¢ | ▲ 7.4% | 26th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 11.2 GW operating | 2.7 GW planned | 24% of fleet | 13th of 51 |
Where North Dakota ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, North Dakota leads on planned generation vs. today's fleet (24%), ahead of Montana (15%).
County spotlight
Dickey County holds the most data centers on record in North Dakota (10). The largest share of planned generation sits in Williams County: 1,518 MW, led by Basin Electric Power Coop (natural gas). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Burleigh County, where contractor jobs grew 22.3% to 542.
Where North Dakota sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- SPP
- Operating capacity
- 11.2 GW
- Planned generation
- 2,681 MW
- Under construction or built
- 240 MW
- Data centers identified
- 26
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 2.2%
- Residential price change
- +7.4%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
North Dakota, county by county
53 counties in North Dakota. Planned generation sits in 5 of them, data centers stand in 7, and local measures are on record in 5. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 24
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickey County | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Cass County | 7 | — | — | — | 1,061 | ▲ 12.5% | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | |
| Grand Forks County | 3 | — | — | — | 301 | — | — | — | |
| Williams County | 1 | 1,518 MW | — | Basin Electric Power Coop | 559 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | |
| Burleigh County | 1 | — | — | — | 542 | ▲ 22.3% | — | — | |
| Stutsman County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| McLean County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Morton County | — | 628 MW | — | New Salem Wind II | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Richland County | — | 295 MW | — | Otter Tail Power Co | 97 | ▲ 56.5% | — | — | |
| Emmons County | — | 140 MW | 140 MW | Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Burke County | — | 100 MW | 100 MW | Northern Divide Energy Storage, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Ward County | — | — | — | — | 426 | ▲ 46.4% | — | — | |
| Stark County | — | — | — | — | 336 | ▼ 13.0% | — | — | |
| McKenzie County | — | — | — | — | 169 | ▼ 59.5% | — | — | |
| Mountrail County | — | — | — | — | 120 | — | — | — | |
| Walsh County | — | — | — | — | 45 | ▲ 28.6% | — | — | |
| Ramsey County | — | — | — | — | 41 | ▲ 173.3% | — | — | |
| Rolette County | — | — | — | — | 19 | ▲ 58.3% | — | — | |
| Traill County | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | |
| Bowman County | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | |
| LaMoure County | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | |
| Barnes County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Oliver County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Mercer County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — |
Every county in North Dakota 53
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 7
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellendale | Dickey County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Fargo | Cass County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Grand Forks | Grand Forks County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Harwood | Cass County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Bismarck | Burleigh County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Jamestown | Stutsman County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Underwood | McLean County | 1 | — | — | — |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
North Dakota, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Record peak (Aug 2023)
- 56 GW
- 2026 ITP Future 2 peak 2035
- 110 GW
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 11.2 GW
- Planned, all types
- 2,681 MW
- Under construction or built
- 240 MW
- Planned gas
- 1,518 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 240 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 26
- Operators
- 10
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 2
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -0.9%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 0.7%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 2.2% (-0.4 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +6.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- +4.5%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +11.4%
- Electrician median pay
- $65,710
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.09×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 12.36¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +7.4%
- All-sector price change
- +6.9%
- Total retail sales change
- -0.0%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 5
- Local measures (in force)
- 5 (2)
- Watchlist projects
- 1
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $26.9B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in North Dakota
Every planned generator in North Dakota in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4 | 1,518 MW | — |
| Wind | 3 | 628 MW | — |
| Solar | 1 | 295 MW | — |
| Battery storage | 2 | 240 MW | 240 MW |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bison Generation Station | Williams | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 496 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Bison Generation Station | Williams | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 496 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Abercrombie Solar | Richland | Solar Photovoltaic | 295 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Otter Tail Power Co |
| Bison Generation Station | Williams | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 263 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Bison Generation Station | Williams | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 263 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| New Salem Wind II | Morton | Onshore Wind Turbine | 226 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | New Salem Wind II |
| Red Butte Wind | Morton | Onshore Wind Turbine | 202 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Red Butte Wind |
| New Salem Wind I | Morton | Onshore Wind Turbine | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | New Salem Wind I |
| Emmons-Logan Energy Storage | Emmons | Batteries | 140 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC |
| Northern Divide Energy Storage | Burke | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Northern Divide Energy Storage, LLC |
What the North Dakota build-out runs on
Who is building generation in North Dakota, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basin Electric Power Coop | 4 | 1,518 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| Otter Tail Power Co | 1 | 295 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| New Salem Wind II | 1 | 226 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| Red Butte Wind | 1 | 202 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| New Salem Wind I | 1 | 200 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC | 1 | 140 MW | 140 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| Northern Divide Energy Storage, LLC | 1 | 100 MW | 100 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded North Dakota footprint 1
| Tier | Company | Segment | What the record says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPC / contractor | PCL Construction; Burns & McDonnell | Combined-cycle construction | $4 billion ~1.5 GW dual-unit combined-cycle plant for Basin Electric (ND), online from 2029 |
Order-by check derived
8 of the 8 planned units of 50 MW or more in North Dakota that are not yet under construction (2,441 of 2,441 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 4 gas units are (1,518 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bison Generation Station | Natural gas | 496 MW | Feb 2029 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2024 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Bison Generation Station | Natural gas | 496 MW | Mar 2030 | Feb 2027 | Mar 2025 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Abercrombie Solar | Solar | 295 MW | Aug 2028 | Jul 2025 | — | Otter Tail Power Co |
| Bison Generation Station | Natural gas | 263 MW | Feb 2029 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2024 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| Bison Generation Station | Natural gas | 263 MW | Mar 2030 | Feb 2027 | Mar 2025 | Basin Electric Power Coop |
| New Salem Wind II | Wind | 226 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | — | New Salem Wind II |
| Red Butte Wind | Wind | 202 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Red Butte Wind |
| New Salem Wind I | Wind | 200 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | — | New Salem Wind I |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in North Dakota
26 data centers run by 10 operators are identified in North Dakota. The full list by city is on the North Dakota Data Center Map page. Utilities report 2 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities | Applied Digital | 530 MW | — | |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities | Applied Digital | 430 MW | — |
The North Dakota jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 448.3k | ▲ 0.5% | ▲ 1.4% (+6.3k) |
| Construction | 31.2k | ▲ 1.6% | ▲ 6.8% (+2.0k) |
| Manufacturing | 27.9k | ▲ 0.7% | ▲ 4.5% (+1.2k) |
| Mining and logging | 17.1k | ▲ 0.6% | ▼ 19.7% (-4.2k) |
| Retail trade | 45.9k | ▼ 1.1% | ▲ 0.7% (+0.3k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | — | not disclosed | — | — |
| Electrical contractors | 4,105 | 4,572 | ▲ 11.4% | $91,263 |
| Power and communication line construction | 812 | 1,110 | ▲ 36.7% | $106,795 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 2,614 | — | $130,792 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | not disclosed | — | — |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,510 | $31,460 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 11,470 | $30,080 | 0.96× |
| Retail salespersons | 11,320 | $36,040 | 1.15× |
| All occupations | 429,430 | $52,480 | 1.67× |
| Construction laborers | 5,050 | $49,070 | 1.56× |
| Welders | 2,590 | $62,000 | 1.97× |
| HVAC mechanics | 970 | $74,490 | 2.37× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 1,620 | $63,560 | 2.02× |
| Electricians | 3,570 | $65,710 | 2.09× |
| Power plant operators | 150 | $122,160 | 3.88× |
| Power-line installers | 740 | $105,870 | 3.37× |
| Construction supervisors | 4,350 | $81,370 | 2.59× |
| Electrical engineers | 260 | $110,810 | 3.52× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to North Dakota
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in North Dakota
State measures 5
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 2406 | Penalties for data center nondisclosure agreements | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 | |
| Data center permitting moratorium (September 2026 special session, not introduced) | Proposed temporary pause on data center permitting through June 2027 | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
Delay Watchlist projects 1
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmony Energy Park | Harmony Township (Cass County) | pending review | 540 MW |
Local moratoria and restrictions (5) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The North Dakota Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
North Dakota's neighbors
North Dakota power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in North Dakota?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 2,681 MW of planned generators in North Dakota, 240 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is natural gas 57%, wind 23%, solar 11%. The largest single unit is Bison Generation Station (496 MW, Basin Electric Power Coop). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in North Dakota?
SPP serves most of North Dakota as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in North Dakota on schedule?
8 of 8 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 4 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
What do electricians earn in North Dakota?
The median electrician in North Dakota earned $65,710 in May 2025, 2.09 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $105,870 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in North Dakota have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Williams County (1,518 MW), Morton County (628 MW), Richland County (295 MW).
Which utilities report large-load projects in North Dakota?
Utilities report 2 large customer projects in North Dakota to EEI, including Montana-Dakota Utilities.
Are electricity prices rising in North Dakota?
Residential electricity averaged 12.36¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +7.4% on a year earlier, the 26th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -0.9%.
Does North Dakota have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 5 state-level measures (1 enacted) and 5 local moratoria or restrictions in North Dakota, 2 of them in force, 39th most in the country.
North Dakota across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.