Committee holds data‑center grid study, considers Legacy Fund in‑state investment language for later action

Representative Anna Novak, sponsor of amended House Bill 15‑79, asked the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to approve an interim study on the impacts of large energy consumers — particularly data centers — on the state's electrical grid. The bill as amended also includes language requested by the Retirement and Investment Office to allow consideration of large in‑state infrastructure investments by the state's Legacy Fund advisory bodies. The committee took testimony, discussed pending related legislation, and decided to hold the bill until next week for further consideration.

Novak said data centers are large, power‑intensive facilities (often 100–300 megawatts) that require extremely high reliability and cannot tolerate blackouts. She described potential benefits for North Dakota — property tax revenue and high‑paying jobs — and said…