Harwood rejects data-center restrictions as other US votes fail

By Elena Vasquez

Harwood, North Dakota, became the only US community to reject anti-data-center legislation put to voters alongside the 2026 midterms, with 75.6% of votes cast against the measure. That majority amounted to 325 votes in a town with a population of 845.

More than 40 anti-data-center bills went before townships and counties as Democratic nominees promised to curb digital infrastructure projects in their communities. Harwood's proposed rules would have required independent reviews and public hearings for data centers and other large industrial projects. Voters rejected them.

Why did Harwood reject data-center restrictions?

Applied Digital is the only data center company in town. It is building the Polaris Forge 2 campus outside Harwood, one of several North Dakota sites in its development portfolio, with eventual capacity of 1GW.

Last year, Applied Digital signed a 15-year agreement to supply 200MW to an unnamed investment-grade hyperscaler. The contract is worth $5 billion, and the same customer could take the campus's remaining 800MW when it comes online.

CEO Wes Cummins said the company had to earn the right to build in Harwood and elsewhere in North Dakota. “Real estate is a very localized issue,” he added. The operator's focus on community responsiveness has helped it avoid the competition of 400 or 500 companies that he says are trying to build in Texas. North Dakota's supportive government and Applied Digital's status as the only data center company building in the state give it a distinct position.

A company statement emailed after the vote cited $100 million in power-grid upgrades in the area and $965,000 in grants for local organizations. For a town of 845 residents, those investments represent a substantial local commitment.

Mayor Blake Hankey said the campus will generate $1.65 million in property-tax revenue, six times the town's total 2024 take. Cummins says the company's record in one community earns welcome in the next. He credits transparency, responsiveness and attention to small details for building that reputation.

Will anti-data-center opposition fade?

Cummins does not expect resistance to disappear. He calls it a high-level political talking point and says data centers have become a scapegoat for other local grievances.

He believes that opposition will make some locations harder to enter, although he expects operator-friendly locations such as North Dakota to continue to benefit.

What does Applied Digital's Finland expansion add?

Applied Digital, founded in 2021 as Applied Blockchain, also runs data centers in Alabama and Louisiana. The company has pivoted toward AI infrastructure and is now expanding into Europe. In October, it announced a gigawatt-scale development at an unnamed Finnish site, with initial power availability scheduled for 2028.

Cummins said 100MW will be available in the first phase, paired with renewable energy. The site sits in an area where other data centers are under construction and fiber is readily available.

The selection followed 18 months of searching European sites. Customers' growing interest in European availability has prompted Applied Digital to assemble a small European team, which it expects to grow.

The company will apply the same design process used at its US sites. Large data-hall footprints relative to the power draw provide room for changing rack power densities, including a return to 10kW per rack if chipmakers' roadmaps reverse their current climb. The Finnish facility will provide 100% liquid-cooling coverage and 80% air-cooling availability.

“The idea is to provide maximum flexibility for the future,” Cummins said. The design can accommodate more air-cooled inference deployments as customer requirements change.

Cummins uses a Pokémon-catching metaphor for the company's plan to secure six investment-grade hyperscale customers with deep pockets. He counts three as secured and expects three more, though Applied Digital has not disclosed all three names. CoreWeave is a known US customer.