Applied Digital plans to break ground in Sept. for AI Factory in North Dakota

Applied Digital (APLD) announced it plans to break ground in September 2025 on Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion, 280-megawatt AI Factory near Harwood, North Dakota. Designed with the ability to scale beyond its initial 280MW, the campus-with initial capacity in 2026 and reaching full capacity in early 2027-further advances Applied Digital’s rapid growth and reinforces North Dakota’s position as one of the most strategically important destinations for AI infrastructure in the United States. “We believe Polaris Forge 2 represents the next stage in Applied Digital’s rapid growth and our position as a leader in delivering high-performance AI infrastructure,” said Wes Cummins, CEO of Applied Digital. “The demand for AI capacity continues to accelerate, and North Dakota continues to be one of the most strategic locations in the country to meet that need. We have strong interest from multiple parties and are in advanced negotiations with a U.S. based investment-grade hyperscaler for this campus, making it both timely and prudent to proceed with groundbreaking and site development. We believe this new campus will strengthen our operations, increase our ability to scale, and create lasting value for both our customers and the communities we serve.”