HARWOOD, N.D. — News of Applied Digital’s planned $3 billion AI data center near Harwood caught many residents off guard. No permits have been filed and no public meetings have been held, leaving questions about the project’s energy usage and potential water needs.

To put the project in perspective, a large hospital typically uses 4.5 megawatts to operate, while the data center is expected to require about 280 megawatts.

Paul Matthys, CEO of Cass County Electric Cooperative, said extensive engineering and feasibility studies ensure the cooperative can serve the large data load without negatively impacting members.

“This project will not require the co-op to upgrade its current system or build new infrastructure,” Matthys said, adding that it will help keep rates down. He explained tha

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