A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact sections 49-22-02, 49-22-03, 49-22-07, 49-22-07.2, 49-22-08, 49-22-08.2, 49-22-09, 49-22-09.2, 49-22-14, 49-22-16, 49-22-20, 49-22-21, 49-22-22, 49-22-24, and 49-22-25 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to authorization for the public service commission to regulate the siting compatibility for data centers; and to provide a penalty.

HB 1427 requires data center developers to obtain a certificate of site compatibility from North Dakota's Public Service Commission before building new data centers or significantly expanding existing ones that involve energy consumption. The bill updates existing siting rules to explicitly include data centers as a regulated facility type, mandating that locations must minimize environmental and community impacts. Developers must submit written certifications about proposed sites and secure commission approval for unavoidable impacts on protected "avoidance areas," with a 30-day deadline for commission review. This policy directly affects data center operators planning new construction or major energy-intensive expansions in North Dakota.