Applied Digital Polaris Forge 2 AI campus in Harwood
Also called: Polaris Forge 2, Polaris Forge II
A $3 billion AI data center being built in Harwood, north of Fargo. It will use up to 280 MW of power. Fargo tried to annex the land but dropped the effort in December 2025.
Where things stand: Under construction. The company expects the first part to run by the end of 2026.
🕒 Latest update (April 2026): The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved a $110 million power project (substation and high-voltage line) for the site.
What we know
- 📍 Whereabout a mile from Harwood, roughly 10 miles north of Fargo, Harwood, Cass County
- 🏢 CompanyApplied Digital
- 👤 Built forAn unnamed large tech company ("investment-grade hyperscaler"); one TV report says Oracle
- 🌳 Size320 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs280 megawatts (about as much as 224,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromCass County Electric Cooperative and Minnkota Power. The state utility commission approved a $110 million new substation and high-voltage line in April 2026.
- 🗼 New power linesYes
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop water cooling (sealed pipes), per the Harwood mayor
- 💵 Cost$3 billion
- 👷 Jobs promised200
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Who is the tenant? The company only says a large tech company; one report says Oracle. 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will the campus use each day? 🙋 I'll find out
- How many backup diesel generators will it have? 🙋 I'll find out
- Did the city give tax breaks? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Aug 2025Fargo started trying to annex about 800 acres that include the site.
- Aug 18, 2025Applied Digital broke ground on the Harwood campus.
- Sept 2025Harwood City Council rezoned 320 acres from farm land to light industrial for the project.
- Dec 8, 2025Fargo City Commission voted to drop its disputed annexation near Harwood.
- March 2026Applied Digital closed a $2.15 billion bond sale to pay for building the campus.
- April 2026The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved a $110 million power project (substation and high-voltage line) for the site.
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
Fargo commissioners voted to stop trying to annex the land where Applied Digital is building near Harwood. The fight over the east side of the property went to mediation.
🗺️ Zoning change
Harwood's council gave final approval to rezone 320 acres southeast of town from farm land to light industrial for Applied Digital's data center. The first vote was on Sept. 2, 2025, when the council also voted to oppose Fargo annexing the site.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Construction of $3B Data Center in North Dakota Spurs Annexation Battle · ENR · Dec 8, 2025
- Applied Digital expands in North Dakota, eyes Oliver County for third data center · Valley News Live · July 13, 2026
- Applied Digital Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2027 Results · Applied Digital · Oct 7, 2026
- 2nd Fargo-area data center would use double the power of Harwood site · Valley News Live / North Dakota Monitor · Sept 30, 2026
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