River Run Energy Center data center campus (Mercer County)
Also called: River Run Energy Center
Power companies want to build a large gas power plant with a data center campus of several gigawatts in Mercer County. The county paused all data center projects for one year in March 2026.
Where things stand: Gas plant plus data center campus announced Dec. 2025. Mercer County paused data centers for one year in March 2026.
🕒 Latest update (March 30, 2026): Basin Electric and NextEra held a public open house on the project.
What we know
- 📍 WhereUnincorporated Mercer County, Mercer County
- 🏢 CompanyNextEra Energy Resources and Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- 🌳 Size530 acres
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromA new 1,450 MW natural gas power plant next to the campus
- 💵 Cost$18 billion
- 👷 Jobs promised230
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Where exactly is the site in Mercer County? 🙋 I'll find out
- How big would the data center be, and who would use it? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water would the plant and data centers use? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the companies apply after the moratorium ends in March 2027? 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 8, 2026: We checked NextEra's project page: the gas plant would sit next to the Leland Olds substation off Highway 200, but the data center land (up to about 1,500 acres of options) is not public.
What happened so far
- Dec 2025Basin Electric and NextEra announced the River Run Energy Center plan.
- March 3, 2026Mercer County Commission voted 3-2 to pause data center development for one year.
- March 30, 2026Basin Electric and NextEra held a public open house on the project.
Local votes and rules
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
County commissioners voted 3-2 to pause data center applications for one year, so staff can write rules. It came as Basin Electric and NextEra looked at the county for a gas plant and data center campus. The county had no application at the time.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Data center concerns rise in 2nd western North Dakota county as NextEra, Basin eye project · Grand Forks Herald · March 5, 2026
- Basin Electric and NextEra Energy Resources hold an open house for proposed River Run Energy Center · Basin Electric · April 9, 2026
- Mercer County issues moratorium on data centers · KFYR-TV · March 4, 2026
- River Run Energy Center FAQ · NextEra Energy Resources · 2026
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