Markets / Dakotas
C&W 2026 Americas · Tertiary #5 · updated 2026-11-05
The Dakotas
Cold climate, stranded wind, a co-op willing to build for load, and voters who said yes. A rare tailwind market.
heatingGrid: Basin Electric / co-ops, Xcel, MDU, Otter Tail (SPP/MISO)
#4 in C&W grid-stability ranking [Cushman & Wakefield, 2026 Global Data Center Market Comparison (Americas rankings) (2026-05)]
Power and the queue
- Basin Electric's large-load program funds dedicated generation, and it has received more than a dozen applications totaling over 11 GW.uncertain [TSLN: Dakotas discuss data centers (Basin Electric large-load program) (2026)]
Notable projects owners where public
- Applied Digital Polaris Forge 1, Ellendale ND: added 75 MW, with a path to 400 MW. [DCD: Applied Digital adds 75MW of capacity at Ellendale campus in North Dakota (2026)]
Regulatory posture incentives, moratoria, zoning, water, large-load rules
- SD SB 135 (2026) 'Data Center Bill of Rights': a 10 MW+ definition and separate electric-service terms. SD's moratorium bill SB 232 failed. [Moratorium Nation dataset (M. Bommarito, CC BY 4.0), current through Sep 23, 2026 (2026-09-23); NCSL: Which States Are Banning Data Centers? (updated Sep 15, 2026) (2026-09-15)]
- Nov 3, 2026: Harwood ND voters rejected extra industrial review, the lone pro-development result. [DCD: Local data center moratoria, limits, and restrictions voted in across the US (2026-11-04)]
Pending legislation and actions 1 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| undated | Harmony Township township | Not yet enacted. On 2026-09-22 the Township Board unanimously passed a motion (moved by Board Chair Dustin Burchill) to hold a formal public hearing on whether to adopt a two-year moratorium; the specuncertain Board voted to schedule a public hearing on a proposed two-year moratorium and to seek a legal review of recent zoning amendments and pending conditional use permits before further action; no moratorium has been adopted yet. Duration: Proposed two-year zoning | pending | medium | [https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/harmony-township-board-to-consider-2-year-data-c] |
In force / enacted 4 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | Aberdeen city | Resolution No. 26-07-04R, 'A Temporary Resolution Establishing a Moratorium on Issuance of Local Permits for Data Centers Within the City of Aberdeen,' adopted 7-0 at a regular Aberdeen City Council m Adopted 7-0 on first reading and passage at the July 20, 2026 regular City Council meeting; published July 23, 2026. Duration: From adoption (immediate effect) through a fixed sunset of November 18, 2026, or the effective date of a zoning ordinance amendment a | in force | high | [https://aberdeeninsider.com/city-of-aberdeen-notice-of-resolution-26-07-04r/] |
| 2026-03-30 | South Dakota state | HB 1038 (2026) Allows PUC to assess actual processing costs to public-utility data center customers seeking contract deviations or electric service agreements; applies to data centers with 10 MW or greater peak demand and includes digital-currency mining in the definition. | enacted | high | [HB 1038 (2026) - South Dakota Legislature bill status page] |
| 2025-04-28 | North Dakota state | HB 1579 (69th Assembly, 2025) Introduced as a certificate of public convenience and necessity requirement for data centers, then amended into a Legislative Management study of large energy consumers, including data centers, and their effects on grid reliability, infrastructure, state and l | enacted | high | [HB 1579 - Overview | North Dakota Legislative Branch] |
| 2026-03-30 | South Dakota state | SB 135 (2026), Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens Defines data centers at 10 MW or greater; requires separate electric-service terms so data centers reimburse fairly attributed utility costs; bars state preemption of local data center ordinances and resolutions; requires local water-provider compatibility det | enacted | medium | [SB 135 (2026) - South Dakota Legislature bill status page] |
Pricing & supply snapshot directional
MW Desk estimate / directional range, Q4 2026
Not yet benchmarked. We have not published a directional colocation pricing or supply band for this market yet.
Ranges, when published, are indicative only and age quickly. Confirm with brokers and operators before acting.
TJ field notes
Coming soon: TJ's on-the-ground notes on this market. Expect what the queue really looks like, which sites can actually get power, and what the brokers aren't saying.
Slot reserved for TJ's detailed market report.