North Dakota Data Center Pipeline Surpasses Operating Footprint

LandGate said in a press release that North Dakota has 17 data centers in development, compared with 15 operating facilities. The analysis from LandGate, a Wood Mackenzie business, puts the state's development to operational ratio at 1.13, above the national average of 0.89.

LandGate calculated a median locational marginal electricity price of about $35 per MWh for data center sites in the state. The national median is about $49 per MWh, while neighboring markets range from $47 to $53 per MWh.

The analysis identified more than 1,000 MW of available offtake capacity at several substations, including about 1,330 MW in Ellendale, 1,260 MW in Hankinson and 1,235 MW in Jamestown. Projects in the pipeline include the 400 MW Polaris Forge 1 campus in Ellendale, the 455 MW Fighting Pike campus in Williston and the 430 MW Polaris Forge 3 campus in Oliver County.