Applied Digital advances North Dakota’s AI role with Polaris Forge 2 Campus build
Applied Digital plans to break ground in September 2025 on Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion, 280-megawatt (MW) AI Factory near Harwood, North Dakota.
Designed with growth in mind, the data center will be able to scale beyond its initial 280MW, the campus—with initial capacity in 2026 and reaching full capacity in early 2027—further advances Applied Digital’s rapid growth and reinforces North Dakota’s position as an essential destination for AI infrastructure in the United States.
The new project is being conducted to accommodate the surge of AI computing capacity from hyperscalers, enterprises, and research organizations.
Polaris Forge 2 builds on the success of Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 1 Ellendale campus, expanding the company’s presence in a state that offers abundant energy, available land, and a pro-business climate.
Wes Cummins, CEO of Applied Digital, said that Polaris Forge 1 is catching attention from the hyperscaler community.
"The demand for AI capacity continues to accelerate, and North Dakota continues to be one of the most strategic locations in the country to meet that need,” he said. “We have strong interest from multiple parties and are in advanced negotiations with a U.S.-based investment-grade hyperscaler for this campus, making it both timely and prudent to proceed with groundbreaking and site development.”
Local partnership focus
Applied Digital’s proposed development initially includes two facilities with capacity for future expansion.
The company’s plans will also focus on local partnerships.
It has contracted more than 900 acres for the campus and secured power through Cass County Electric Cooperative.
Job creation is another focus. Once the campus is up and running, the site is expected to employ more than 200 full-time employees, in addition to long-term contractors.
Governor Kelly Armstrong said Applied Digital is not just an employer, but a partner to the community. Armstrong pointed out how in “Ellendale, they invested in people through workforce housing and created strong local partnerships that strengthen the community.”
An emerging hub
While North Dakota does not have a large data center market, with Data Center Map listing only seven facilities in the state, it is showing potential.
But the state’s abundant power resources, including renewable, available land, and a growing base of technical talent, are making North Dakota an emerging hub to locate AI infrastructure.
The data center market continues to have an impact on the state’s power resources/
A July 2024 report from the Energy Information Administration noted that the state saw the highest relative growth in electricity demand caused by data centers--37 percent in four years.
Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken, said the Ellendale project could advance the state's status as a key data center destination.
“Applied Digital’s investment in Ellendale is a model for rural innovation—bringing high-tech infrastructure, workforce housing, and long-term economic opportunity to North Dakota,” he said. “Their expansion into Harwood builds on that success and is exactly the kind of strategic partnership and investment that strengthens our communities and positions our state for the future.”
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Sean Buckley
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