Basin Electric and NextEra Energy Plan Major Gas Plant to Power North Dakota Data Center Boom
December 25, 2025
As the demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing services surges, the strain on power grids is becoming a critical bottleneck for data center expansion. This has led energy developers to propose new, large-scale generation projects specifically to cater to the immense and constant electricity needs of this digital infrastructure.
In a significant move to address this need in the Upper Midwest, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and NextEra Energy Resources are jointly exploring the development of a major natural gas-fired power plant in North Dakota. The proposed facility, with a planned capacity of approximately 950 megawatts, is being positioned to provide reliable, dispatchable power for a growing cluster of data centers in the state. The project underscores a strategic shift where energy infrastructure is being built in direct response to the demands of the digital economy.
The scale of the proposed plant highlights the substantial power requirements of modern computing. A single facility of this size could power hundreds of thousands of homes, but its output is increasingly destined for server farms. The partnership brings together Basin Electric's regional expertise with NextEra's status as one of the world's largest renewable energy generators, though this project focuses on natural gas as a firm power source.
The potential implications for North Dakota are substantial. Successfully attracting and powering large data centers can transform the state into a more prominent digital infrastructure hub, bringing significant capital investment and new economic activity. However, it also places the state at the center of ongoing debates about energy transition, balancing the immediate need for reliable power with long-term sustainability goals. The project, if realized, would represent a major private investment in the region's energy landscape, directly linking fossil fuel generation to the growth of the tech industry.
Source: bismarcktribune
Basin Electric and NextEra Energy Plan Major Gas Plant to Power North Dakota Data Center Boom
