Legal Review Could Impact Proposed Energy Project West of Fargo
Mapleton, N.D. (KFGO) – A legal review regarding an alleged conflict of interest in Cass County may disrupt regulatory filings for a significant energy and data center development proposal west of Fargo.
Harmony Township leaders are awaiting a formal opinion from Township Attorney Sarah Wear on whether zoning votes cast in July are legally valid. The inquiry focuses on former Township Board Chairman Tom Roden, who entered a private land purchase agreement with developer Geronimo Power in May but subsequently voted on July 21 to amend zoning ordinances without disclosing this agreement.
The amendments raised allowable noise thresholds and allowed battery energy storage systems in agricultural districts. Following these changes, Geronimo’s legal team notified the North Dakota Public Service Commission that their proposed $249 million battery storage facility was fully authorized at the local level.
If it is determined that Roden’s nondisclosure invalidates the July vote under state conflict-of-interest laws, Geronimo’s claim of local authorization could collapse before state regulators.
This legal complication arises as local residents express concerns regarding Geronimo’s broader infrastructure plans, which encompass a 540-megawatt data center, a 200-megawatt solar farm, and the battery storage facility. Residents are particularly worried about noise, the peak water demands of up to 20,000 gallons per day, and the potential loss of prime agricultural land.
A public hearing on the battery storage project is scheduled for October 23 in Casselton, while the Harmony Township Board of Supervisors is set to meet on October 20.
