Voters in Harwood, North Dakota, rejected a ballot measure that would have imposed additional oversight on large-scale industrial developments, including data centers, clearing the path for Applied Digital's $3 billion facility on the edge of town1,2,3.
Of 430 votes cast in the town of 845 residents, roughly 75 percent opposed the measure. The proposal would have required independent reviews and public hearings for new large-scale industrial projects and for changes to existing facilities. The vote took place on November 3 alongside U.S. midterm elections, according to the Washington Post.
The result ran counter to a wave of restrictions elsewhere. Voters approved more than 40 measures across the country to slow or ban data center growth on the same Election Day. The Washington Post reported that Harwood may have been the only community in the country to vote in favor of data center construction that week. Prior Vector Wire coverage documented at least 33 communities backing restrictions ranging from outright bans and moratoriums to energy-use caps[1].
Applied Digital, a Texas-based company, plans to build a 1.8-million-square-foot data center just outside Harwood, with the facility set to open in 2027. The project carries a $3 billion price tag.
Harwood is a bedroom community near Fargo with little industry beyond a few bars and a grain storage facility, and many residents commute to larger nearby cities. Opposition to the project was initially substantial, according to the Washington Post's reporting.
ANALYSIS The 75-percent margin in a town with minimal existing industrial base stands out against the dozens of communities that moved to restrict data center development on the same ballot.