This tiny North Dakota town was the only place to vote against restricting data centers (www.businessinsider.com)

In a notable electoral decision, voters in Harwood, North Dakota—a town of around 940 residents—overwhelmingly rejected a proposition aimed at increasing community control over the construction of large projects, including AI data centers. This measure, which drew 325 votes against and 105 votes in favor, stood in stark contrast to a nationwide trend of anti-data-center sentiment, as Harwood was the only locality among 45 jurisdictions with similar propositions to vote in favor of such development. The decision is particularly significant as a $3 billion AI data center, comparable in size to 17 football fields, is currently being constructed in Harwood, promising to create approximately 200 jobs, or about 20% of the town's population. Critics of the proposition, including some residents, expressed frustration over the rapid approval of the data center, feeling blindsided by the lack of community input. There were concerns that the qualitative language of the measure could impose economic burdens on the town and potentially stifle all large-scale business developments, not just data centers. Mayor Blake Hankey noted that the decision was not solely about the current project but also about the implications for future developments, arguing that swift action was necessary to secure the data center project for the town. The juxtaposition of community concerns against economic incentives highlights a growing tension in the adoption of AI infrastructure in localities across the U.S.