Permits
Permits checklist
4 checked, nothing on file
Nothing was ever filed for this project. The items below show what was searched for and not found.
- –Checked, nothing on file: Zoning or conditional use permit, Facility permit or service docket, Electric service agreement, Federal aviation filings
Risks
Why it stopped, what could revive it
- HighTax policy killed the caseThe sponsor tied the project to sales-tax exemptions, which the legislature refused in 2025 and again in 2026. State agency · Oct. 2026
- MediumLocal oppositionA landowner group, RURAL, packed county meetings in Feb. and Mar. 2026 over farmland, water and power (press). News report · Oct. 2026
- WatchCould returnThe company left the door open to revisit South Dakota after future elections (press). News report · Oct. 2026
Power
Power and the grid
None energized or contracted yet
Otter Tail Power grid serviceNever contracted
developer-stated need; no service agreement was ever signed SEC filing · Oct. 2026
Proposed
Getting on the grid
Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.
- April 15, 2025430 MW need statedApplied Digital tells the county it needs 430 MW and that no zoning exists yet. Local government · Oct. 2026
- Not setNo power contractNo electric service agreement with Otter Tail Power was ever executed. see Permits
- Not setNo state docketNo facility permit or service docket for the campus exists at the South Dakota utility commission. see Permits
- A separate 145 MW gas plant near Toronto, proposed by Missouri River Energy Services, is not part of this project. That agency told the county it is not associated with the data center. Local government · Oct. 2026
- The site sat near Otter Tail Power's Astoria 345 kV substation and gas plant. News report · Oct. 2026
What is next door
Distances from mapped lines and plants. OpenStreetMap · Oct. 2026
Money
Money on record
$0
state incentives won
the sales-tax refund bill failed, and the developer said the project needed it State agency · Oct. 2026
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- March 2025Permits The state Senate rejects the data-center sales-tax refund bill 17-18 News report · Oct. 2026
- April 15, 2025Site Applied Digital presents a 430 MW, $10-16B campus to Deuel County commissioners; no zoning exists Local government · Oct. 2026
- Oct. 9, 2025Money The project's land is swept into Applied Digital's Macquarie platform filing SEC filing · Oct. 2026
- Feb. 3, 2026Permits A six-month county data-center moratorium fails 1-4; a one-year power-plant moratorium advances Local government · Oct. 2026
- March 3, 2026Permits The county adopts a one-year moratorium on power plants (not data centers) Local government · Oct. 2026
- March 17, 2026Site Applied Digital tells local TV the project is unlikely to go forward News report · Oct. 2026
- April 2, 2026Site A company vice president says the project 'doesn't make sense at this time' and the land agreement will lapse News report · April 2026
- Oct. 15, 2026Site Trade press describes the plans as effectively withdrawn News report · Oct. 2026
The buildings
Specs
200 jobs
permanent, plus 300 to 600 construction workers (developer says)
- Closed-loop cooling: about 10 gallons per minute of water Local government · Oct. 2026
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Developer
- Applied Digital: sponsor; Nick Phillips, vice president, presented to the county
Decision-makers
- Deuel County Board of Commissioners
- South Dakota Senate: rejected SB 177
Utility
- Otter Tail Power: incumbent utility; never signed an agreement
Opponents
- Residents United for Rural and Agricultural Land (RURAL), with Dakota Rural Action
Still unknown
Open questions
- The exact site: no parcel or address was ever published.
- Whether Applied Digital revives the project after future elections.
Where this comes from
100 records from 24 documents
Drawn from news reports, local government records, securities filings, public and commercial datasets, state agency records, utility regulator dockets and company statements, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 9Local government 4SEC filing 3Dataset 3State agency 3Utility regulator 1Company 1
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (24)
- County: Deuel County“The Deuel County Commissioners met in regular session on April 15th, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the Commission Room of the Courthouse with Chairman Jay Grabow presiding.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Utility service: 430 MW“Extended Pipeline >5 GW Utility Power: 430 MW - SOUTH DAKOTA; 1000 MW - SITE A; 640 MW - SITE B; 600 MW - SITE C”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- IT capacity: not stated“700 MW Critical IT Load Sites Under Construction: Polaris Forge I - 400 MW; Polaris Forge II - 200 MW. Extended Pipeline >5 GW Utility Power: 430 MW - SOUTH DAKOTA”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Stated campus size: not stated“The current proposed site plan includes two buildings totaling approximately 430 MW, with any future expansion requiring additional public review and Commission approval.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- On-site generation: not stated“The facility would need good reliable energy they buy from utilities... they do not use a lot of water as they have a 10 gallon per minute just like homes, and it is a closed loop”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Construction stage: none - proposal stage only; no zoning, CUP or permit application was ever filed and no construction began“Martin Vega with Applied Digital emphasized the importance of community engagement... The current proposed site plan includes two buildings totaling approximately 430 MW”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- During the moratorium debate the commission took up NDAs: Chairman Grabow stated no commissioner should enter an NDA and asked that a policy be created to ensure it - a transparency marker for how this county handled dev“Discussion on NDAs continued with Grabow stating that no commissioner should enter an NDA. Grabow asked to have a policy created to ensure no commissioner enters an NDA.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Nearest power line of 345 kV or more: 2.06 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest substation of 345 kV or more: 3.41 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest gas pipeline: 2.75 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Registry status: CANCELLED - confirmed at agency grade. The SD Legislative Research Council's 2026 hyperscale data centers issue memo records that Applied Digital decided not to pursue the proposed Deuel County project f“Applied Digital, has since decided not to pursue the proposed Deuel County project due to a lack of tax incentives”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Power supply agreement: none - no electric service agreement was ever executed“Extended Pipeline >5 GW Utility Power: 430 MW - SOUTH DAKOTA. Active Development 4.3 GW Utility Power: land under control and/or signed utility agreement for power.”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- MRES filed the Toronto Power Plant facility-permit application with the SD PUC (Docket EL25-028) - a separate 145 MW natural-gas plant ~2 miles north of Toronto, with a 4.9-mile 345 kV line to Otter Tail's Astoria substa“The Toronto Power Plant application and other documents in the docket may be accessed on the PUC's website at: https://puc.sd.gov/Dockets/Electric/2025/EL25-028.aspx”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- IT capacity: 430 MW“In total, the data center project could offer 430MW of IT capacity”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Aliases: Applied Digital Toronto; Toronto data center campus“in May, it was reported that the company had proposed a multi-billion-dollar data center in Toronto, South Dakota, that could offer 430MW of IT capacity”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Utility: Otter Tail Power Company“The Deuel County site is near Otter Tail Power's transmission lines and a natural gas-fired generation plant in Astoria.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Power plan: grid - incumbent utility service (Otter Tail Power); no ESA, interconnection or service agreement was ever executed or filed“The Deuel County site is near Otter Tail Power's transmission lines and a natural gas-fired generation plant in Astoria.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- RURAL (Residents United for Rural and Agricultural Land), organized by Toronto-area landowners with Dakota Rural Action support, campaigned against the campus on farmland, fire-capacity, water and power grounds; resident“Erik Oftedahl also volunteers for the fire department, and he said they're not ready to meet the need should it arise.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Interconnection status: none - project effectively withdrawn in 2026 before any grid filing: Applied Digital said the project 'doesn't make sense at this time' after the 2026 South Dakota legislative session rejected dat“Plans to build a 430MW campus near the city of Toronto in the state were effectively withdrawn after developer Applied Digital told Keloland that it was “unlikely to go forward””News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Data Center Dynamics (Sioux Falls campus article, 2026): the Toronto plans were 'effectively withdrawn' after APLD told Keloland it was 'unlikely to go forward' - reporting ties the decision to ratepayer-protection legis“Plans to build a 430MW campus near the city of Toronto in the state were effectively withdrawn after developer Applied Digital told Keloland that it was "unlikely to go forward"”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Utility: Otter Tail Power Company - the site was near Otter Tail Power's transmission lines and the Astoria natural-gas-fired plant; no electric service agreement was announced before the project was abandoned“The Deuel County site is near Otter Tail Power's transmission lines and a natural gas-fired generation plant in Astoria”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- Applied Digital's proposed 430 MW Deuel County campus (near Toronto, SD) effectively withdrawn in 2026 - the company said the project 'doesn't make sense at this time' after South Dakota lawmakers rejected data-center ta“Vice President of Applied Digital Nick Phillips said the project “doesn't make sense at this time” given lawmakers' rejection of tax incentives during the recently concluded legislative session.”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- IT capacity: 430 MW“In total, the data center project could offer 430MW of IT capacity”News report · May 2025 · grade C
- Site identity: Proposed site east of Toronto, Deuel County, South Dakota, near Otter Tail Power transmission and the Astoria gas plant; two buildings of 907,000 sq ft each“the data center operator is proposing an AI data center development east of Toronto in South Dakota”News report · May 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (15)
- Site acres: 150-200 acres“having 25 acres per building, roughly 1.8 million square feet total and 150-200 acres”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Buildings planned: 2 buildings, ~1,800,000 sq ft total“There is potential for two buildings... roughly 1.8 million square feet total and 150-200 acres.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Stated capital cost: $10-16 billion (developer-stated)“They need 430 megawatts. The facility would spend roughly $10-16 billion, provide 300-600 construction workers a job... needs 200 employees average salary of $64,000”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Jobs stated: 200 permanent employees (~$64,000 average salary); 300-600 construction workers“needs 200 employees average salary of $64,000 to mid-hundreds, improve the fiber for internet”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Platform contribution / LLC agreement (Macquarie): scope“all of APLD's and its Subsidiaries' current data centers and data center land projects for the HPC Segment, including those in North Dakota, South Dakota and Louisiana”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Cancellation reason: State tax-incentive failure: the SD Senate defeated SB 177 (2025) 17-18 and the 2026 session again rejected data-center sales-tax exemptions; the sponsor said the project did not make sense without t“One of the developers, Applied Digital, has since decided not to pursue the proposed Deuel County project due to a lack of tax incentives.”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Electric service agreement: finding - no agreement exists“Extended Pipeline >5 GW Utility Power: 430 MW - SOUTH DAKOTA. Active Development 4.3 GW Utility Power: land under control and/or signed utility agreement for power.”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Tenants: None - no tenant was ever announced“Applied Digital has been courting South Dakota lawmakers and residents of Deuel County in far eastern South Dakota for years. The company planned to build a $5 billion, 430-megawatt data center campus near the small town of Toronto.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Tenant status: no tenant announced at cancellation“Vice President of Applied Digital Nick Phillips said the project doesn't make sense at this time given lawmakers' rejection of tax incentives during the recently concluded legislative session.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Land control: Land agreement on land east of Toronto; company stated in 2026 it would let the agreement lapse at renewal“The company's agreement on the land near Toronto is up for renewal soon, and Phillips said the company will let it lapse.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Land agreement (option): scope“The company's agreement on the land near Toronto is up for renewal soon, and Phillips said the company will let it lapse.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Land agreement (option): termination“Vice President of Applied Digital Nick Phillips said the project doesn't make sense at this time given lawmakers' rejection of tax incentives during the recently concluded legislative session.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Phillips left the door open to revisiting South Dakota depending on the outcome of future elections - the cancellation is a policy-driven withdrawal, not a site rejection.“the company would let its land agreement near Toronto lapse, though he noted the company could revisit its plans depending on the outcome of future elections”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Construction stage: cancelled / abandoned - never built; after the 2026 legislative session rejected data-center tax incentives, Applied Digital's VP said the project 'doesn't make sense at this time' (Apr 2, 2026) and t“Vice President of Applied Digital Nick Phillips said the project doesn't make sense at this time given lawmakers' rejection of tax incentives during the recently concluded legislative session”News report · April 2026 · grade C
- May 2025: APLD publicly proposed the Deuel County campus (up to $16 billion investment, up to 200 jobs, 6-9 months of zoning/state decisions then 18-24 months of construction) - the proposal that was withdrawn in 2026“The project could see up to $16 billion in investment and create up to 200 high-paying jobs”News report · May 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (14)
- Jurisdiction: Deuel County zoning under SDCL Title 11; the county had no zoning regulations accommodating the project“Phillips stated there currently is no zoning in Deuel County so that needs to be done before they can even start the project.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Original target date: not stated as a date; developer timeline (Apr 2025) was 6-9 months of planning plus ~18 months of construction“They are roughly six to nine months for planning and 18 months out for building.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- County zoning / conditional use permit: never filed“Phillips stated there currently is no zoning in Deuel County so that needs to be done before they can even start the project.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Zoning ordinance amendment (Essential Services, Sec. 1248): first reading held“Theisen read the 1st Reading of B2022-01-11 as amended. Ordinance No. B2022-01-11, an ordinance amending Ordinance B2022-01, an ordinance establishing zoning regulations for Deuel County, South Dakota”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Moratorium resolution (public power plant facilities): adopted 3-2“Fieber moved, seconded by Rhody, to approve Resolution 26-07 A One-Year Moratorium on Public Power Plant Facilities, with an environmental and community impact study to be completed during that time.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Deuel County Board of Commissioners: Applied Digital presentation (VP Nick Phillips): 430 MW campus east of Toronto, $10-16B, 200 jobs, two buildings ~1.8M sq ft; no county zoning exists for the project; state tax policy“Item #1 Applied Digital representative Nick Phillips. Phillips started off by introducing himself and giving a high level overview of the potential project in Deuel County.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Deuel County Commission + Planning & Zoning Commission (joint hearing): Motion to establish a six-month moratorium on data centers to allow time to develop local ordinances (moved Grabow, seconded DeBoer)“A motion by Grabow was made to establish a six-month moratorium on data centers to allow for the development of local ordinances, seconded by DeBoer. Role Call Vote: Kanengieter-No, Lammers- Yes, DeBoer-No, Grabow-No, Dahl-No. Motion failed.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Deuel County Commission + Planning & Zoning Commission (joint hearing): One-year moratorium on public power plants with an environmental and community impact study; commissioners direct the auditor to start the moratoriu“DeBoer moved, seconded by Grabow to establish a one-year moratorium on any public power plant, with an environmental and community impact study to be completed. Role Call Vote: Kanengieter-yes, Lammers-Yes, DeBoer-Yes, Grabow-Yes, and Dahl-Yes. Motion carried.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Deuel County Board of Commissioners: Agenda approved with the addition of the Applied Digital Townhall meeting; Missouri River Energy Services presents and states on the record it is not associated with the proposed data“Fieber moved, seconded by Mewherter to approve the agenda with the addition of the Applied Digital Townhall meeting. All voted yes and the motion carried.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Deuel County Board of Commissioners: Resolution 26-07 adopted: one-year moratorium on Public Power Plant Facilities (excluding wind and solar) with impact study; first reading of Ordinance B2022-01-11 (Essential Services“Grabow called for a roll call vote: Homan-nay, Mewherter-nay, Fieber-yay, Rhody-yay, and Grabow-yay. Resolution No. 26-07, a resolution establishing a temporary county-wide moratorium on Public Power Plant Facilities (excluding wind and solar).”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- State facility permit / service docket: never filed“The Project includes an energy conversion facility and associated facilities being developed by WMMPA, through its agent MRES. The Project is located within Deuel County, South Dakota, approximately 2 miles north of Toronto, South Dakota.”Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Company statement to KELO-TV: the Toronto project is unlikely to go forward; Applied Digital prioritizes jurisdictions offering a competitive policy environment, pointing to its North Dakota campuses (Ellendale, Harwood)“Applied Digital is prioritizing locations where it can bring the same long-term economic investment and community partnership seen in its North Dakota projects in Ellendale, and Harwood.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- The 2026 SD legislature again declined data-center sales-tax exemptions and instead enacted restrictions: SB 135 (PUC-set data-center service terms, full reimbursement of costs fairly attributed to data centers, pre-oper“the law prohibits the state from overriding local ordinances limiting, prohibiting or otherwise regulating data centers”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- South Dakota Senate: SB 177 - sales and use tax refund for goods and services related to data center operations“Phillips indicated that for the project to become reality, some incentive programs need to exist for the data center to land in the state.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Legal (1)
- Developer: Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: APLD)“name: Applied Digital Corp.; tickers: APLD; stateOfIncorporation: NV; 3811 TURTLE CREEK BLVD., SUITE 2100, DALLAS, TX 75219”SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Site and other (7)
- Name: Applied Digital Deuel County Campus“Item #1 Applied Digital representative Nick Phillips. Phillips started off by introducing himself and giving a high level overview of the potential project in Deuel County.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- City: Toronto (site east of Toronto)“Homan asked if there is land you're interested in? Phillips responded there was and it is East of Toronto.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- First announced: April 15, 2025“Item #1 Applied Digital representative Nick Phillips. Phillips started off by introducing himself and giving a high level overview of the potential project in Deuel County.”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Water use stated: closed-loop cooling, ~10 gallons per minute“they do not use a lot of water as they have a 10 gallon per minute just like homes, and it is a closed loop so it just continues to circulate the water”Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- County code: 46039“FCC census block find for latitude 44.573020 longitude -96.620000 returned County FIPS 46039, name Deuel County, block 460399536003138”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Stage: cancelled“One of the developers, Applied Digital, has since decided not to pursue the proposed Deuel County project due to a lack of tax incentives.”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Current target date: cancelled - no COD; sponsor abandoned the site in 2026“One of the developers, Applied Digital, has since decided not to pursue the proposed Deuel County project due to a lack of tax incentives.”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B