North Dakota data center and energy laws

What North Dakota has enacted on data center and energy, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. North Dakota is one of 29 states that enacted a data center and energy law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Bills in scope: 4bills in scope
Past committee: 3past committee
Most recent action: 3 September 2026most recent action

Data center and energy laws enacted in North Dakota

One data center and energy law enacted in the North Dakota Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.

HB 1579AN ACT to provide for a legislative management study relating to the impact of large energy consumers on the state's electrical grid.Enacted 30 April 2025
What it requires: Data centers owned by investor-owned utilities that consume twenty megawatts or more of energy may not begin construction or operation without first obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the public service commission. Cooperative-operated data centers are exempt from this requirement.
Grid reliability and load flexibility

Data center and energy in North Dakota, by topic

Siting, zoning and permitting
2 bills. Enacted in 8 states.
Grid reliability and load flexibility
1 bill, 1 enacted. Enacted in 11 states.
Water, cooling and emissions
1 bill. Enacted in 7 states.

Data center and energy bills in North Dakota

The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.

1Enacted

2Past committee

1Introduced or inactive

4 bills in scope

Past committee

SB 2406A BILL for an Act to create and enact chapter 44-04.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to prohibiting agencies from entering nondisclosure agreements concerning data centers and industrial projects; to provide a penalty; to provide an effective date; and to provide an expiration date.3 September 2026Passed committee

What it would do: Prohibits state and local agencies from entering nondisclosure agreements with developers regarding data centers or industrial projects, and voids any such agreements. Agencies violating this chapter face civil penalties up to one thousand dollars per violation.

HB 1239A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 11-33, a new section to chapter 40-47, a new chapter to title 51, and a new section to chapter 58-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to blockchain technology and protection for digital asset mining.17 February 2025Passed committee

What it would do: Protects digital asset mining from residential zoning restrictions if noise ordinances are met, prevents discriminatory commercial zoning restrictions, exempts blockchain node operators and miners from money transmitter licenses, prohibits governing authorities from accepting central bank digital currency or participating in its testing, and permits individuals to accept digital assets as payment and operate blockchain nodes.

Introduced or inactive

HB 1427A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact sections 49-22-02, 49-22-03, 49-22-07, 49-22-07.2, 49-22-08, 49-22-08.2, 49-22-09, 49-22-09.2, 49-22-14, 49-22-16, 49-22-20, 49-22-21, 49-22-22, 49-22-24, and 49-22-25 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to authorization for the public service commission to regulate the siting compatibility for data centers; and to provide a penalty.17 January 2025Introduced

What it would do: Extends the Public Service Commission's siting authority to regulate data centers alongside electric energy conversion and transmission facilities, requiring data centers to obtain certificates of site compatibility before construction and establishing application fees, safety standards, and penalties for violations.

Bill titles link to the North Dakota Legislature's own page.

What LawSignals covers

What counts as data center and energy legislation

In scope: Large-load tariffs and cost allocation; siting, zoning and permitting; tax incentives and clawbacks; on-site and co-located generation; water, cooling and emissions; and grid reliability and load flexibility.

Questions

Does North Dakota have a data center and energy law?

Yes. North Dakota enacted 1 data center and energy law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them HB 1579. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.

Which data center and energy bills are moving in North Dakota?

2 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along SB 2406 (passed committee) and HB 1239 (passed committee).

What does North Dakota legislate on most in data center and energy?

Siting, zoning and permitting (2 bills), Grid reliability and load flexibility (1 bill) and Water, cooling and emissions (1 bill).

Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?

No. Which bills count as Data center and energy bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Other practice areas in North Dakota

Data center and energy legislation in other jurisdictions

49 more currently hold bills in this tracker

Know when North Dakota's data center and energy law changes

An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.

Track data center and energy laws free About the Data Centers and Energy Load Tracker