Grand Forks
BrownfieldNelson County, North Dakota · MISO
At a glance
Grand Forks is a brownfield datacenter candidate site in Nelson County, North Dakota, scoring 55.4/100 DC Readiness — 2nd of 4 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. GridCensus catalogs 9 MW of candidate capacity here.
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 Grand Forks compare with other sites in Nelson County?
Grand Forks ranks 2nd of 4 scored candidate sites in Nelson County. Its 55.4/100 is roughly in line with the county average of 54.7. 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 fiber connectivity (72 vs 71) and its weakest is power availability (24 vs 43). Power and speed to power each carry 20% of the composite score, fiber 12%, water 7% and hazard 6%.
How close is Grand Forks to power, fiber and other datacenters?
For connectivity, the nearest internet exchange facility is Midco Grand Forks at 39.2 miles. 2 fiber providers report service at the location in FCC broadband data. The closest operating datacenter on record is Midco Grand Forks, 39.2 miles away.
What are the flood, water and hazard risks at Grand Forks?
The site is in FEMA flood zone D, where flood risk has not been determined. WRI rates baseline water stress at 1.00 on a 0–5 scale. No mapped wetlands are recorded on the parcel. At the county level, FEMA's National Risk Index rates Nelson 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 Nelson County, ranked by DC Readiness.
| Site | Type | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAKOTA | Substation-Adjacent | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.4 |
| Former Hodney Hotel | Industrial | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 52.5 |
| Former Michigan School- Fargo Assembly Building | Industrial | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 52.3 |
Grand Forks: common questions
What is the DC Readiness score of Grand Forks?
Grand Forks scores 55.4/100 on the GridCensus DC Readiness scale, rated good. It ranks 2nd of 4 scored sites in Nelson County. The Nelson County average is 54.7 and the North Dakota average is 55.7.
Which electric utility serves Grand Forks?
NODAK ELECTRIC COOP INC (cooperative) holds the retail service territory that contains the site.
What grid region is Grand Forks in?
Grand Forks is in the MISO region. Projects interconnecting there have averaged a 4.3-year wait from queue request to operation.
Is Grand Forks in a flood zone?
The site is in FEMA flood zone D, where flood risk has not been determined.
Who owns Grand Forks?
Parcel records list the owner as Slaubaugh, Ronald W. & Dorothy A. (private land).
How far is Grand Forks from an internet exchange?
The nearest internet exchange facility is Midco Grand Forks, about 39.2 miles away; 2 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, “Grand Forks, Nelson County, ND”, https://gridcensus.com/datacenter-sites/north-dakota/nelson-county/grand-forks-6bb2a730 (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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