Oliver County is a rural agricultural area with a deep history of farming, ranching, homesteading and small-town community ties.  Right now, a contract is pending to allow Applied Digital to construct a large-scale data center development in between Center and Hannover.  While we respect the rights of the individual property owners who have signed this contract, we have significant concerns with what this will do to the future of this agriculture-based county.

Data Centers consume enormous amounts of energy, increase truck traffic and noise, visually destroy the beauty of the land, create sound, noise, and air pollution, and create an irreversible industrial impact on the agrarian landscape.  The ability to work the land can never be brought back once a facility of this size is in place.

The families whose homes and properties border this land will be adversely affected by sound, light, traffic, and the loss of peaceful countryside.  We call on our local commissioners and the planning and zoning committee to work together towards a solution that preserves the country lifestyle and quality of life that Oliver County residents currently enjoy.  

We recognize that as the demand for AI technology increases, so does the need for data centers.  We also recognize that Oliver County is a prime location for these data centers to develop.  We ask that a moratorium of six months be put into effect to give our local leaders time to thoroughly research and develop ordinances that safeguard private property rights and also provide guardrails so that industry can develop without controversy.