Applied Digital Polaris Forge 2

Timeline from the record

Newest first. Record entries come from the filings and reports the registry cites. Coverage entries are headlines from publisher feeds we monitor daily, linked to the outlet; last checked September 14, 2026.

1. September 2025

   Under construction
   Groundbreaking September 2025; initial operations expected end of 2026, full capacity early 2027 Source: Applied Digital Corporation
2. August 2025

   Proposed
   Polaris Forge 2 announced; $3B, 280 MW AI factory campus on 900+ acres near Harwood Source: Applied Digital Corporation

Opposition and litigation at this site

Yes. Applied Digital Polaris Forge 2 in Harwood, Cass County, North Dakota is contested. Hearings, public comment, petitions, or organized opposition are on record, and no lawsuit has been filed so far. Opposition surfaced when the project was announced (Aug 2025): environmental advocates and at least one area farmer argued Minnkota Power Cooperative member-owners (farmers, ranchers, rural residents) could see higher electric rates from the substation/powerline buildout funded to serve the data center; one resident called for a moratorium to allow more planning time.

How the community has taken it

Reception is a sourced signal, not an editorial judgment: contested means active public debate is on record, with hearings, petitions, or organized opposition, without litigation.

Opposition surfaced when the project was announced (Aug 2025): environmental advocates and at least one area farmer argued Minnkota Power Cooperative member-owners (farmers, ranchers, rural residents) could see higher electric rates from the substation/powerline buildout funded to serve the data center; one resident called for a moratorium to allow more planning time. No vote, denial, or litigation reported as of 2026-03-23; the ND Public Service Commission went on to approve the power project 2026-04-29/30.

Source: InForum

Power and water

280 MW peak demand; power secured through Cass County Electric Cooperative, a member-owned nonprofit, in partnership with Minnkota Power Cooperative

Notes on the record

Two purpose-built facilities totaling more than 1.8 million sq ft. As of the August 2025 announcement, Applied Digital was in advanced negotiations with a U.S.-based investment-grade hyperscaler; no customer or lease value had been publicly confirmed at that point. In October 2025 Applied Digital announced a lease with an unnamed U.S. investment-grade hyperscaler covering 200 MW of critical IT load, approximately $5 billion in total contracted revenue over an estimated 15-year term. The August 2025 announcement described a 280 MW AI factory, and Minnkota Power Cooperative states that the data center is expected to use 280 megawatts at peak, so 280 MW is read as peak electricity demand rather than IT load; the recorded planned capacity is the initial 200 MW of critical IT load that the lease covers in two buildings. The October 2025 release also describes the campus as a 1 GW design, with the tenant holding a first right of refusal on 800 MW more; that expansion potential is not recorded as capacity. Partial operations expected end of 2026; full capacity early 2027. Coordinates are Harwood city centroid; site is approximately 900 acres near this community north of Fargo.

Other sites within 30 miles

Distances are between recorded coordinates, many of which are a city or county centroid, so treat them as approximate. Cumulative load on one utility and one aquifer is the question a planning commission rarely asks.

• Harmony Energy Park (Geronimo Power data center) · Mapleton · Geronimo Power9 mi · Proposed · 540 MW · Contested

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