(North Dakota Governor’s Office image)
(KNOX) -Gov. Kelly Armstrong joined state and local officials in inspecting the new Applied Digital data center expansion and a related housing project, both under construction in Ellendale.
While there, Armstrong also signed legislation streamlining siting of on-site backup power generation at data centers and other businesses in North Dakota, ensuring they can continue to operate off-grid during emergency situations.
“Ellendale is a shining example of the public and private sectors working hand-in-hand to drive economic growth and meet workforce needs,” Armstrong said after inspecting the projects with Ellendale Mayor Don Flaherty, Dickey County Commission Chair Brandon Carlson, North Dakota Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken, Bank of North Dakota (BND) President Don Morgan and officials from Applied Digital and Headwaters Development LLC. “The collaboration among the city, Applied Digital and Headwaters Development to develop this game-changing project, expand housing options and meet infrastructure needs with state support has been remarkable.”
Applied Digital continues to build out a high-performance computing (HPC) AI data center in Ellendale, having first completed a crypto mining facility in 2023. The current 380,000-square-foot HPC facility is expected to begin operations late this year and will be followed by two additional 900,000-square-foot expansions, representing a combined investment of $5 billion and hundreds of new jobs.
