Data center dilemma: Who should decide where they go in North Dakota?

Tech corporations are coming to North Dakota farm fields to build massive, resource-intensive computer warehouses that feed artificial intelligence. But with minimal public oversight, residents and local governments are struggling to manage the rapid infrastructure sprawl.

The only approval data center developers in North Dakota have to obtain before building is permitting from local governments, like townships and county commissions. There is no formal environmental review or centralized body in charge of overseeing their developments. …