Casselton-area residents question data center location on prime farmland
CASSELTON, N.D. — Caryn Weber said she is not against data centers, but questions the location of a proposed site in rural Cass County.
“It’s disturbing to see prime farmland covered up with concrete,” Weber said Thursday inside Bondegard Cafe in downtown Casselton.
Representatives of Geronimo Power, the company behind a proposed data center east of Casselton and north of Mapleton, answered questions about the
Harmony Energy Park project at the cafe.
Data centers have become a main topic of discussion in North Dakota with more events on deck in Cass County.
Tuesday, the Legislature’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee meets at 9 a.m. at Grand Farm, near Casselton. The
agenda includes water use by data centers, data center impact on local government and testimony from utility officials.
The following week, on Oct. 14, North Dakota State University is hosting a data center discussion in Fargo.
“Powering the AI Economy: Data Centers and North Dakota’s Future” will be hosted by NDSU’s Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth. The event is in the NDSU Memorial Union starting at 5:30 p.m.
Panelists include North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Paul Matthys, president and CEO of Cass County Electric Cooperative.
Goehring, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Vern Thompson, who has made data centers a
top issuein the ag commissioner race.
North Dakota residents have expressed concerns about noise, water use, utility rates and the loss of farmland.
https://mydakotan.com/2026/10/casse...stion-data-center-location-on-prime-farmland/