PSC Candidate Calls for Statewide Data Center Moratorium

(KNOX) – A Republican candidate for public service commission wants to pump the brakes on data center development in North Dakota.

The issue:  the state has no structure to regulate them.

Chris Olson, who is running a primary challenge against incumbent Jill Kringstad, says the world is moving faster than North Dakota, and the state has not kept up with a way to regulate data centers.

Data centers are branded as large power and water consumers, despite the industry disputing some, or all, of those claims.  Various counties have issued moratoriums against the centers locating within their boundaries.

The Public Service Commission does not regulate data centers, but an interim legislative committee is studying whether to allow the PSC to regulate large load users, like the centers.  Olson believes a moratorium until after the 2027 legislative session has a chance to weigh in is needed.