Attendees view promotional signs and talk with project members of a proposed Stark Power data center during an informational open house in Mandan on Aug. 20, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
MANDAN, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Infrastructure costs, potential for constant noise and close proximity to local schools were a few of the concerns raised Thursday by Morton County residents during an informational meeting regarding a proposed data center.
The Stark Power data center and natural gas generation campus in Mandan is still in its planning phase, but the location seems to be set. The facility would be built north of Interstate 94, between Highway 1806 and Old Red Trail, a short distance from Red Trail Elementary, Mandan Middle School and Mandan High School.
That’s too close for Terry Mastel of Mandan who lives off Old Red Trail, near the proposed site. He worries about the destruction of the natural environment for future generations and school kids, including his granddaughter who will attend school near the project area.
“We have sunshine. We have quiet. We have a river that’s clean, and all of these things are going to affect us,” Mastel said. “I feel that sometimes it’s hard to stop a train, but I think that we have to not quit trying to stop the train.”
Michael Wahlen, managing director of digital infrastructure for Stark Power, said in an interview that the company is not looking at alternative sites for the project. The company has not submitted a zoning application since city and county officials are evaluating data center ordinance proposals.
“We want to give the city and the community time to be thoughtful and deliberate about the things that are important to them and make sure those are reflected in the ordinance,” Wahlen said. “And then we’ll move forward with a project application, if we determine that the ordinance is workable once we have it finalized.”
State lawmakers have data centers on their radar, too – forming a new committee to look into the issue and including a bill draft banning nondisclosure agreements involving industrial projects during a special session that starts Sept. 2. The Mandan project will not use nondisclosure agreements, according to posters displayed at the event.
North Dakota is seen as an attractive state for data center developers, with a cool climate, access to power and rural space to build in. Members of Legislative Management discussed data centers as part of multiple bills proposed by Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, on Monday.
One of Mathern’s bills would have temporarily banned North Dakota counties, cities and townships from issuing construction permits for data center projects through June 2027, but that proposal did not advance out of the committee.
“Data centers developing across America have dramatic impacts on communities, the energy grid and infrastructure demands,” Mathern said Monday. “Data centers create potential economic benefits, but also great stressors, and, if not done correctly, great harm.”
Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, one of the lawmakers who opposed a moratorium, argued that it would prevent a community that wants a data center from moving forward with a project.
Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan, who attended the Mandan data center open house, said letting the state decide issues before local subdivisions would be a “bad idea.”
“Local control is always best,” Boehm said. “I think of these industrial projects as an opportunity, but you better mitigate the determinants.”
He added issues surrounding water use, noise and infrastructure need to be addressed by Stark Power to reassure the community.
The Mandan project would generate about 1,000 construction jobs and about 150 full-time positions once completed, according to the project website. The company estimates the facility could generate $40 million to $50 million in annual economic benefits to Mandan public schools, the city of Mandan and Morton County.
The company plans to hold more informational sessions with Mandan and Morton County residents, Wahlen said.
On Thursday, residents filled Mandan’s Signature Events Center and lined up outside waiting to get in and talk to the project team.
Lee Fleischer of Mandan said he wants to see upfront payments from Stark Power to cover the costs of city and county infrastructure improvements needed for the data center, if the project should fail.
“If they start the project and then find out it’s not going to go the way they want, we’ve got the money,” Fleischer said. He added he also wants to see a definitive amount on how much tax revenue the project will generate for the city and county, not estimates of economic benefits provided by the company, and a fully-funded decommission plan for the facility before construction starts.
Blaine Engelstad of Mandan said he doesn’t support the project and worries about the noise that could be caused by the facility.
“Inevitably, we probably need them, but not right here,” Engelstad said. “We don’t have any superfund sites around here, but we have some reclaimed coal mine areas. Put them there.”
The company is taking steps to minimize noise, including installing mechanical equipment in the center of the facility, using sound-dampening materials and installing engineered sound walls, according to the project website.
Wahlen said the project team appreciates the comments from Mandan and Morton County residents and hopes the community gives them a chance to address their issues. He said Stark Power is going to propose a community benefit agreement that would be funded by the company, but controlled by a group of community members to support initiatives in Mandan and Morton County.
“Between our commitment to being good neighbors and the intentionality that the city has put into the ordinance development, there’s a recipe here for a project that works well for everyone, and that’s what we’re hopeful for,” he said.
The city of Mandan will review its data center ordinance during a meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday, and the Morton County Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to discuss its ordinance on Wednesday.
The legislative Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee moved its next meeting a day earlier than originally scheduled to 9 a.m. Aug. 31, ahead of a special session of the Legislature. Lawmakers also will take public testimony on Sept. 1 about special session bills, including the proposal related to nondisclosure agreements.
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