[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":379},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fnorth-dakota-county-oks-ai-data-center-but-can-t-get-a-demolition-bond":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":366,"dateModified":366,"description":367,"extension":13,"meta":368,"navigation":21,"path":369,"rawbody":370,"seo":371,"sitemap":372,"stem":373,"tags":374,"__hash__":378},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fnorth-dakota-county-oks-ai-data-center-but-can-t-get-a-demolition-bond.md","North Dakota county OKs AI data center, but can't get a demolition bond",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":358},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,285,288,291,295,298,301,304,307,311,314,317,321,324,327,330,345,348,352],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"north-dakota-county-oks-ai-data-center-but-cant-get-a-demolition-bond",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Oliver County, N.D., commissioners voted 2-1 on July 7 to approve Applied Digital's building permit for an AI data center near Center.",[254,258,259],{},"The county's road use agreement bars wastewater discharge into the aquifer and requires the first cooling water to be trucked in.",[254,261,262],{},"An Applied Digital attorney said the company couldn't get reclamation bonds to cover eventual demolition.",[254,264,265],{},"Applied Digital projects about 200 full-time jobs and around 1,000 temporary construction jobs at the site.",[66,267,268],{},"\"There's no bank that will demolish a $1 billion facility for an unlimited amount of time.\"",[66,270,271],{},"Janelle Combs, a senior real estate and regulatory attorney for Applied Digital, told commissioners in Oliver County, N.D., that this was why the company couldn't post a bond to tear down its planned AI data center someday, the Center Republican reported. The commission approved the building permit on July 7 anyway. The deal shows what a rural county could and couldn't get in writing when an AI developer wanted to build on farmland. Supervisors in any Valley county would face the same question if a similar project came to them.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-the-county-got-in-writing","What the county got in writing",[66,277,278],{},"The permit vote rezoned the land from agricultural to industrial, the paper reported. On July 10, commissioners signed a road use and operations agreement with APLD BIS-01, LLC, an Applied Digital subsidiary, according to Valley News Live. The company will build a private road off Highway 31. Loads over 34,000 pounds have to stay on state highways.",[66,280,281],{},"Then came the water terms. No wastewater can go into the aquifer under the site. The water that first fills the cooling system will be trucked in, not drawn from on-site sources.",[66,283,284],{},"There's a weed plan due within 60 days. State environmental regulators will set the timeframes for testing the emergency generators. The company also agreed to work with St. Peter Lutheran Church to limit outdoor construction work near the property.",[66,286,287],{},"Applied Digital will coordinate with the sheriff, the emergency manager and fire and ambulance departments on funding before property tax money from the project comes in. Combs said that could include the sheriff's request for a fourth deputy.",[66,289,290],{},"The company expects about 200 full-time jobs and around 1,000 temporary construction jobs, and it wants the site done within 18 to 24 months. It already runs the Polaris Forge 1 campus in Ellendale. It's also building Polaris Forge 2 near Harwood, a 280-megawatt AI facility leased to Oracle, and in March it closed a $2.15 billion bond offering to pay for that work.",[61,292,294],{"id":293},"the-bond-nobody-would-write","The bond nobody would write",[66,296,297],{},"Chairman Rob Schmidt voted no.",[66,299,300],{},"He said his only objection was the location, farmland about a mile east of Hannover and five miles north of Center. His biggest worry was the end of the building's life. When it's razed, Schmidt said, taxpayers will be stuck with the bill. Three of his conditions involved reclamation bonds, and Combs said the company had asked banks as far away as Europe.",[66,302,303],{},"\"These buildings are built to last 100 years,\" she said. \"With inflation over 99 years, for a $1 billion facility, it's not possible.\"",[66,305,306],{},"Combs said the state Legislature might help, but so far there have only been conversations. Commissioner Lee Husfloen, who voted yes, compared the project to the county's power plants, which he said have run well past their expected 35-year life.",[61,308,310],{"id":309},"why-valley-counties-should-watch","Why Valley counties should watch",[66,312,313],{},"Nothing in the Oliver County deal touches California directly. But the issues will sound familiar to anyone who has sat through a land-use hearing in the Valley: farm ground rezoned for industry, an aquifer neighbors don't want touched and a small sheriff's office bracing for a big construction crew. Then there's the question of who pays to knock the building down decades from now.",[66,315,316],{},"If a developer brings that kind of project to the supervisors in Fresno, Kern or Merced County, the Oliver County file is a ready list of what to ask for. In North Dakota, the company said it couldn't get one of those items, the demolition bond, at all.",[61,318,320],{"id":319},"whos-still-asking-questions","Who's still asking questions",[66,322,323],{},"Commissioners put a 180-day moratorium on data centers in March, and more than 200 people packed the Betty Hagel Memorial Civic Center in Center for a debate that month, KX News reported. The commission lifted the moratorium 3-0 on April 30.",[66,325,326],{},"At the July meeting, Arlo Bakken argued the permit was coming too soon while landowner concerns were still open. Bakken is running for county commissioner in the November general election.",[66,328,329],{},"\"There have been official complaints filed, concerns about violations and I think those would need to be addressed before a final permit could be approved,\" he said.",[66,331,332],{},[333,334,335,336,338,339,344],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,337,239],{}," team and developed by ",[340,341,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":342},[343],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[346,347],"hr",{},[61,349,351],{"id":350},"source","Source",[66,353,354],{},[340,355,356],{"href":356,"rel":357},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.valleynewslive.com\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F13\u002Fapplied-digital-expands-north-dakota-eyes-oliver-county-third-data-center\u002F",[343],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":359},[360,361,362,363,364,365],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":293,"depth":11,"text":294},{"id":309,"depth":11,"text":310},{"id":319,"depth":11,"text":320},{"id":350,"depth":11,"text":351},"2026-11-03","Oliver County, N.D., wrote water, road and public safety conditions into its deal with Applied Digital. It couldn't get a bond to cover tearing the building down someday.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fnorth-dakota-county-oks-ai-data-center-but-can-t-get-a-demolition-bond","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-11-03'\ndateModified: '2026-11-03'\ndescription: Oliver County, N.D., wrote water, road and public safety conditions into\n  its deal with Applied Digital. It couldn't get a bond to cover tearing the building\n  down someday.\ntags:\n- data centers\n- policy\n- agriculture\ntitle: North Dakota county OKs AI data center, but can't get a demolition bond\n---\n\n# North Dakota county OKs AI data center, but can't get a demolition bond\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Oliver County, N.D., commissioners voted 2-1 on July 7 to approve Applied Digital's building permit for an AI data center near Center.\n2. The county's road use agreement bars wastewater discharge into the aquifer and requires the first cooling water to be trucked in.\n3. An Applied Digital attorney said the company couldn't get reclamation bonds to cover eventual demolition.\n4. Applied Digital projects about 200 full-time jobs and around 1,000 temporary construction jobs at the site.\n\n\"There's no bank that will demolish a $1 billion facility for an unlimited amount of time.\"\n\nJanelle Combs, a senior real estate and regulatory attorney for Applied Digital, told commissioners in Oliver County, N.D., that this was why the company couldn't post a bond to tear down its planned AI data center someday, the Center Republican reported. The commission approved the building permit on July 7 anyway. The deal shows what a rural county could and couldn't get in writing when an AI developer wanted to build on farmland. Supervisors in any Valley county would face the same question if a similar project came to them.\n\n## What the county got in writing\n\nThe permit vote rezoned the land from agricultural to industrial, the paper reported. On July 10, commissioners signed a road use and operations agreement with APLD BIS-01, LLC, an Applied Digital subsidiary, according to Valley News Live. The company will build a private road off Highway 31. Loads over 34,000 pounds have to stay on state highways.\n\nThen came the water terms. No wastewater can go into the aquifer under the site. The water that first fills the cooling system will be trucked in, not drawn from on-site sources.\n\nThere's a weed plan due within 60 days. State environmental regulators will set the timeframes for testing the emergency generators. The company also agreed to work with St. Peter Lutheran Church to limit outdoor construction work near the property.\n\nApplied Digital will coordinate with the sheriff, the emergency manager and fire and ambulance departments on funding before property tax money from the project comes in. Combs said that could include the sheriff's request for a fourth deputy.\n\nThe company expects about 200 full-time jobs and around 1,000 temporary construction jobs, and it wants the site done within 18 to 24 months. It already runs the Polaris Forge 1 campus in Ellendale. It's also building Polaris Forge 2 near Harwood, a 280-megawatt AI facility leased to Oracle, and in March it closed a $2.15 billion bond offering to pay for that work.\n\n## The bond nobody would write\n\nChairman Rob Schmidt voted no.\n\nHe said his only objection was the location, farmland about a mile east of Hannover and five miles north of Center. His biggest worry was the end of the building's life. When it's razed, Schmidt said, taxpayers will be stuck with the bill. Three of his conditions involved reclamation bonds, and Combs said the company had asked banks as far away as Europe.\n\n\"These buildings are built to last 100 years,\" she said. \"With inflation over 99 years, for a $1 billion facility, it's not possible.\"\n\nCombs said the state Legislature might help, but so far there have only been conversations. Commissioner Lee Husfloen, who voted yes, compared the project to the county's power plants, which he said have run well past their expected 35-year life.\n\n## Why Valley counties should watch\n\nNothing in the Oliver County deal touches California directly. But the issues will sound familiar to anyone who has sat through a land-use hearing in the Valley: farm ground rezoned for industry, an aquifer neighbors don't want touched and a small sheriff's office bracing for a big construction crew. Then there's the question of who pays to knock the building down decades from now.\n\nIf a developer brings that kind of project to the supervisors in Fresno, Kern or Merced County, the Oliver County file is a ready list of what to ask for. In North Dakota, the company said it couldn't get one of those items, the demolition bond, at all.\n\n## Who's still asking questions\n\nCommissioners put a 180-day moratorium on data centers in March, and more than 200 people packed the Betty Hagel Memorial Civic Center in Center for a debate that month, KX News reported. The commission lifted the moratorium 3-0 on April 30.\n\nAt the July meeting, Arlo Bakken argued the permit was coming too soon while landowner concerns were still open. Bakken is running for county commissioner in the November general election.\n\n\"There have been official complaints filed, concerns about violations and I think those would need to be addressed before a final permit could be approved,\" he said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.valleynewslive.com\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F13\u002Fapplied-digital-expands-north-dakota-eyes-oliver-county-third-data-center\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":367},{"loc":369},"news\u002Fnorth-dakota-county-oks-ai-data-center-but-can-t-get-a-demolition-bond",[375,376,377],"data centers","policy","agriculture","1ulnHhytgrrGzIQwaztfHelnN4AEvGasxRX-IU1LKbA",1793794390049]