미국 그레이트 플레인즈에 '소도시'로 불리는 대규모 AI 데이터센터 캠퍼스가 건설 중이며, 컴퓨팅 인프라를 위해 저렴한 전력과 부지를 제공합니다.

North of Fargo, roughly 1,800 workers are putting the finishing touches on two 907,000-square-foot buildings that will house computers dedicated to artificial intelligence infrastructure. Combined, the two Applied Digital structures outmeasure North Dakota's largest building, a 1.2 million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center located about 2 miles to the south.

"It's like a small city," said David Nehring, director of local and regional affairs for Applied Digital in the Midwest.

The Harwood City Council approved the $3 billion project on September 10, 2025, marking Applied Digital's third data center development in North Dakota. A similar facility is nearing completion in Ellendale, approximately 150 miles southwest of Fargo, with part of that installation already operational. Applied Digital also operates a data center in Jamestown and is constructing another near Center, about 40 miles northwest of Bismarck.

Part of the Harwood facility is on pace to become operational by the end of 2026, with the remainder opening in early 2027, according to Nick Phillips, executive vice president of public affairs and real estate acquisition for Applied Digital. "Things are moving along very nicely," he said.

The project has attracted protesters concerned about the facility's electricity consumption and its potential impact on residential power costs. Polaris Forge 2 is a 280-megawatt data center drawing power from Cass County Electric. Applied Digital will invest $112 million in substation and transmission upgrades to support the facility's operations.

Of the 400 acres Applied Digital owns at the site, the company has graded 300 acres and built its own retention pond. Eight rooms in each building will house 12 generators, creating redundancy to prevent disruptions if some units fail. The facility features a closed-loop cooling system that circulates water through six data halls in each building where computers will be housed. The system recycles the water through large roof-mounted fans for cooling and recirculation, using minimal water overall—comparable to household consumption.

According to Branden Cummins, Applied Digital's civil structure architecture superintendent, construction crews use helmets equipped with augmented reality technology to verify proper equipment placement and monitor schedule adherence. The facility will contain approximately 86,000 electrical connections and several miles of copper cable when completed.

The closest home to the facility is approximately half a mile away, with the town of Harwood situated more than a mile from the data center campus. The company has installed generators with silencing equipment and sound barriers to minimize noise emissions.

When operational, the Harwood facility will employ 200 to 250 workers. The data center is not receiving tax incentives or abatements. Although exact tax figures remain uncertain until construction concludes, Phillips estimated that Applied Digital will become the state's largest single taxpayer by 2029. The company's Polaris Forge 1 facility in Ellendale paid approximately $4.3 million in property tax for 2026.