WASHINGTON — The San Francisco Chronicle published an article on Saturday revealing that data centers are revitalizing rural communities in North Dakota by lowering electricity bills, strengthening local economies, and creating jobs.

Ellendale, North Dakota, was once “a dying little town,” according to Jeff Ringstad, the superintendent of Ellendale Public Schools, but today the Chronicle writes, “Ellendale can now afford to repave its streets, renovate its senior center, finance a new public-safety complex, establish walking trails and refurbish its historic opera house.” 

Don Flaherty, Mayor of Ellendale, shared that before the $11 billion Polaris Forge 1 data center built by Applied Digital, “the town collected about $400,000 in annual sales tax revenue. In just the first seven months of 2026, it reaped $3.5 million. Flaherty estimated Ellendale’s taxable property value will skyrocket from $3.5 million to $35 million.” 

Wes Cummins, CEO of Applied Digital, acknowledged the positive impact Polaris Forge 1 has on Ellendale: “Small communities are always left behind with technology, and now they get to be at the forefront.”

You can read the full piece here.

Additionally, on X, Bloomberg journalist Joe Weisenthal posted in favor of data centers: “It seems unambiguously true that right now, AI is creating a lot of good middle class, frequently unionized jobs.”