Data centers in Burleigh County, North Dakota: 1 project mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

The only data center proposal reported in Burleigh County came in June 2025, when Aurum Capital Ventures, an Iowa-based developer of high-performance and AI computing infrastructure, pitched a site inside Bismarck. At the county commission's June 16 meeting, land agent Charlie White said the company was looking at 300 acres of county-owned land in east Bismarck, at the same address as the Buckstop Junction historical village. It was also looking at "several hundred acres" of state land to the north. The draw was a nearby substation. Exact land needs and power demand were still undecided. The Bismarck Tribune could not reach the company. Its website listed its chief executive only as "JP," who appears to be John Paul Baric, founder of a cryptocurrency company.

Commissioners were skeptical. "It sounds to me like the state would get more taxes out of this thing than the county ... I'm sorry that doesn't sound good," said Commissioner Steve Schwab, who also worried about power: "There's no law, or ruling, that says the citizens are going to get power first. I really have a problem with these projects." Commissioner Steve Bakken said such projects "need to be in a position to supply their own power on-site." White promised 50 to 300 high-paying tech jobs and said "I have a goal to spend about $25 million a quarter to try to put data centers in." He argued that using spare grid capacity stabilizes rates. He acknowledged that big tenants such as Google, Meta, X or Microsoft may not accept being curtailed when the grid is stressed.

The Bismarck Tribune's editorial board urged the county to reject the sale, arguing that data centers "don't belong in city limits" and that a noisy neighbor would undercut the volunteer-run village of buildings from 1875 to 1935, restored over 33 years. Commissioners also said the land might carry legal restrictions: Commissioner Jerry Woodcox said the county got it from the state for use as fairgrounds, so selling it would need a legal opinion. The county has not sold or rezoned the land since. At the state level, a legislative committee on AI and data centers was reviewing grid impacts and zoning as of September 2026, the latest update on the proposal.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.