Residents attend meeting in Harwood on plans for AI center (Paul Jurgens, KFGO News)
HARWOOD, N.D. (KFGO) – It was a packed house at the Harwood Community Center as a representative of Texas-based Applied Digital Corporation detailed plans for a $3 billion artificial intelligence data center. The company promises at least 200 full-time jobs once the two-building factory is completed paying an average of $64,000 a year. An estimated 300 people turned for the meeting.
Mark Kerkvliet has lived in Harwood for 38 years.
“I think what you guys are doing is great, I don’t have a problem with that, I understand a closed loop water thing and everything (water cooling system), my concern is more about power usage and what it’s going to do for the city people, what it costs to live in Harwood, I don’t want Harwood to turn into another Horace where growing like crazy and all of the sudden you can’t afford to live there,” Kerkvliet said.
Other concerns were raised about the cost of supplying the data center with electricity.
Cass County Electric Cooperative maintains that it can supply the center with electricity without raising rates. Cooperative President Paul Matthys says the center would use about 280 megawatts of power. By comparison, he says the 10 counties served by the cooperative consume about 270 megawatts.
Another concerned citizen pointed out that the company has not been profitable. Concerns with pollution and the effect on the climate were also raised along with traffic during and after construction. The center would be operational 24 hours a day.
“Your site (website) says you have 205 full-time employees but you’re saying you’re going to double your workforce without producing any profits the last five years, why should we believe you and let you invest in our community and put us with a $3 billion paperweight that we have to clean up when you go under,” another person told those at the meeting.
Applied Digital Executive Vice President for External Affairs Nick Phillips says during construction, up to 700 workers would be on site and the company is not asking for any tax incentives from the city or the state. Two sites for the Harwood center are under consideration.
Cass County Commissioner Tony Grindberg, who attended the meeting, has not taken a formal position on the project. The county would not have to consider any permits for the center. Grindberg says the company’s history in the state has demonstrated that it is a strong corporate citizen for communities. Applied Digital Corporation has already developed data centers with different applications in Jamestown and Ellendale.
A private security company was hired by the company for the meeting and had employees stationed inside and outside of the community center. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office also had a presence at the meeting.
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