Head Start Building #1
IndustrialBenson County, North Dakota · MISO
At a glance
Head Start Building #1 is an industrial datacenter candidate site in Benson County, North Dakota, scoring 50.7/100 DC Readiness — 69th of 85 scored sites in the county. It sits in the MISO grid region and the NODAK ELECTRIC COOP INC service territory, where interconnection has averaged 4.3 years from request to operation.
Power & interconnection
Speed to power
Middle-of-the-pack interconnection conditions for this grid.
Connectivity
Site characteristics
Risk & environment
Location context
Regulatory climate
Cheap power, land, and cold climate; DC-friendly.
Incentive detail: Property tax exemption for new DC construction for up to 5 years.
Site location
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How does Head Start Building #1 compare with other sites in Benson County?
Head Start Building #1 ranks 69th of 85 scored candidate sites in Benson County. Its 50.7/100 is roughly in line with the county average of 51.2. It is roughly in line with the North Dakota average of 55.7 and roughly in line with the national average of 53.2.
Against the North Dakota average, its strongest sub-score is natural hazard (80 vs 79) and its weakest is power availability (30 vs 43). Power and speed to power each carry 20% of the composite score, fiber 12%, water 7% and hazard 6%.
How close is Head Start Building #1 to power, fiber and other datacenters?
The nearest located transmission bottleneck is TMP293_RUGBY230_RUGBY_115kV_flto_RUGBY230_BALTAJ (MISO), 62 miles away. For connectivity, the nearest internet exchange facility is Midco Grand Forks at 79.9 miles. 1 fiber providers report service at the location in FCC broadband data. The closest operating datacenter on record is Midco Grand Forks, 79.9 miles away.
What are the flood, water and hazard risks at Head Start Building #1?
At the county level, FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benson County "Relatively Low".
Full DC Readiness breakdown
All 13 weighted sub-scores (0–100) behind the composite DC Readiness score.
Nearby comparable sites
Other scored datacenter candidate sites in Benson County, ranked by DC Readiness.
| Site | Type | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OZ Benson | Greenfield | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 59.7 |
| UNKNOWN134286 | Substation-Adjacent | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 57.5 |
| UNKNOWN134304 | Substation-Adjacent | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 57.3 |
| UNKNOWN134306 | Substation-Adjacent | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 57.3 |
| Mine Site | Former Mine | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 51.5 |
| Nathan Jones | Industrial | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 51.3 |
| Sheyenne Re-locatable Home, Unit #25 | Industrial | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 51.2 |
| Sheyenne Re-locatable Home #8 | Industrial | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 51.2 |
Head Start Building #1: common questions
What is the DC Readiness score of Head Start Building #1?
Head Start Building #1 scores 50.7/100 on the GridCensus DC Readiness scale, rated fair. It ranks 69th of 85 scored sites in Benson County. The Benson County average is 51.2 and the North Dakota average is 55.7.
Which electric utility serves Head Start Building #1?
NODAK ELECTRIC COOP INC (cooperative) holds the retail service territory that contains the site.
What grid region is Head Start Building #1 in?
Head Start Building #1 is in the MISO region. Projects interconnecting there have averaged a 4.3-year wait from queue request to operation.
How far is Head Start Building #1 from an internet exchange?
The nearest internet exchange facility is Midco Grand Forks, about 79.9 miles away; 1 fiber providers report service at the location.
Related pages
About this data
Source: GridCensus composite of HIFLD transmission and substation data, EIA, FEMA National Risk Index, FCC broadband data, PeeringDB and ISO interconnection queues, as published October 10, 2026 — GridCensus refreshes it monthly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: GridCensus, “Head Start Building #1, Benson County, ND”, https://gridcensus.com/datacenter-sites/north-dakota/benson-county/head-start-building-1-51e1385b (data as of October 10, 2026).
Dataset updated . Screening estimates derived from public data sources.
Figures are screening estimates derived from public infrastructure data. Catalogued capacity reflects theoretical candidate capacity, not deliverable or committed interconnection. Confirm all values with the utility, ISO, and on-the-ground due diligence.
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