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A New Data Center in Our Community
At peak usage, the data center is expected to use:
280
megawatts
Cass County Electric Cooperative is committed to keeping members informed and addressing questions as new developments arise.
A major data center project is planned within our service territory—bringing significant investment to both our community and our electric system.
Applied Digital is building a data center near Harwood, North Dakota. Power for the facility will be provided by Minnkota Power Cooperative and Cass County Electric Cooperative. Applied Digital will also cover the cost of all necessary infrastructure improvements.
To help members and the public better understand this development, we’ve compiled answers to frequently asked questions about the project’s purpose, operations, and community impact.
Your Power Comes First
This project will not reduce electric reliability for homes, farms, or businesses. Planned system upgrades—such as substation/transmission improvements—will benefit all members.
What benefits will this project bring to the region?
Tax Revenue:
The project will generate significant property and business taxes that help fund schools, public safety, parks and other community services.
Community Engagement:
Applied Digital has a strong record of working with communities, including at its data center in Ellendale, North Dakota. In 2024, they won a Community Impact Award for a public-private partnership addressing housing shortages in Ellendale, which helped develop homes and apartments to support workforce growth and economic development.
Job Creation:
Once fully operational, the site will employ more than 200 full-time personnel and is expected to peak at around 700 construction workers during development. Additional long-term contractors will also support operations.
Economic Growth:
Attracting a technology-focused business may bring more tech companies to the region, helping diversify the local economy.
Member
Impacts
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Rates: The data center will not cause an increase in rates; in fact, large users of electricity help keep rates stable for all members.
Noise & Lighting: The facility will comply with local standards to minimize disruptions.
Environmental Responsibility
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Our power supply capacity includes 58% coal, 33% wind, 7% hydro, and 2% other resources from Minnkota Power Cooperative.
Community Benefits
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New construction and permanent jobs.
Expanded local tax base and investment.
Positioning our community as a hub for technology and innovation.
Know the Difference:
Data Center:
- A facility full of servers and networking equipment that stores, processes, and manages digital information.
- The “backbone of the internet” — supporting things like cloud storage, online banking, healthcare systems, streaming services, and business operations.
- Their main focus is reliability and security so that services are available 24/7.
- Uses a steady, predictable load of electricity. Utilities can plan for this, which often strengthens grid reliability.
Cryptocurrency Mining Operation:
- A mining facility runs powerful computers specifically designed to solve complex mathematical problems.
- These problems validate cryptocurrency transactions (like Bitcoin), and the miners earn digital coins as a reward.
- Unlike data centers, mining facilities don’t provide broader public services — their purpose is primarily profit-driven currency generation.
- Extremely high and less predictable power use, with sudden surges. This can stress the grid and affect electricity availability and costs for others.