Polaris Forge 2 is Applied Digital’s AI data center under construction near Harwood, North Dakota. Contractors can ask Century Builders, whose crew is on site, about its building scope or use Applied Digital’s contact form to find the right buyer. Neither contact page is a project bid board.[31][26][10] Workers have more direct leads: IBEW Local 1426’s job calls name Harwood electrical employers, and the UA manpower board names a Polaris Forge 2 pipefitter posting. Confirm the call is still open with the hall before making plans.[35][34]
| Project fact | What the dated evidence says |
|---|---|
| Developer and site | Applied Digital Corporation is developing Polaris Forge 2 near Harwood in Cass County. Its 2025 announcement described more than 900 acres contracted for a campus; Harwood approved rezoning of 320 acres. Those figures describe different land measures and should not be added or treated as identical boundaries.[1][3] |
| Customer | A 2025 lease announcement described an unnamed U.S. investment-grade hyperscaler. A March 2026 SEC filing names Oracle as the current lessee for the financed 200 MW critical IT load. CoreWeave belongs to Polaris Forge 1 in Ellendale, not this Harwood lease.[6][7][29] |
| Scale | Applied Digital’s August 2025 plan described a $3 billion, 280 MW campus. ABB’s November 2025 release describes 300 MW across two 150 MW buildings. The October 2025 tenant lease covers 200 MW of critical IT load, a different measure. The customer’s first-refusal right for another 800 MW is an option, not a signed lease.[1][37][6] |
| Construction | An October 2026 owner update still described Harwood as under construction. The Forum’s September 12, 2026 site report described roughly 1,800 workers finishing two 907,000-square-foot buildings. Company executives targeted some operations by late 2026 and the rest in early 2027.[21][33] |
| Permits and power | Harwood’s September 2025 local vote approved rezoning and the building permit described by local reporting. The North Dakota PSC issued Minnkota a corridor and route permit in April 2026 for a 1.74-mile, 345-kV line and associated Agassiz substation. Separate authorities and permits govern the buildings and transmission connection.[3][22] |
| Financing | A March 10, 2026 SEC filing reports $2.15 billion of senior secured notes issued by APLD ComputeCo 2 LLC. Net proceeds are intended for the first 200 MW IT load and related accounts and expenses. The $5 billion lease figure is expected contracted revenue over roughly 15 years, not construction cost.[7][6] |
Which project is this?
Applied Digital’s naming creates an easy mistake. Polaris Forge 1 is the Ellendale campus, whose first building served CoreWeave in 2025. Polaris Forge 2 is the Harwood campus near Fargo. Its announced 2025 tenant was unnamed, although Applied Digital’s March 2026 filing identifies the Harwood lessee as Oracle. Neither the CoreWeave delivery date nor the Ellendale campus capacity should be transferred to Harwood.[29][6][7]
The Harwood site also appears as “Polaris Forge II” in local coverage. That is a numeral variant, not another development.[5] Applied Digital calls other campuses Delta Forge and Polaris Forge 3 in its October 2026 results; those names do not designate buildings at Harwood.[21]
In August 2025, Applied Digital described two initial facilities, more than 900 acres contracted, power secured through Cass County Electric Cooperative and a 280 MW design. Harwood subsequently rezoned 320 acres from agricultural to light industrial. The company told The Forum it owned 400 acres and had moved dirt on 300 acres by the tour. Each acreage figure has a different source and description. None alone establishes the final surveyed campus boundary.[1][3][33]
Construction and workstreams
A March 2026 North Dakota Monitor account documented cranes positioning concrete panels at Harwood. The Forum’s September 12 site report described roughly 1,800 workers finishing two 907,000-square-foot buildings. Applied Digital’s October 7 results still projected initial operation by year-end. Company executives told The Forum the remainder would open in early 2027. Neither target establishes that a building is operating today.[5][33][21]
The tour describes six data halls in each building, a closed-loop cooling circuit, roof-level fans, backup generation and roughly 86,000 electrical connections when finished.[33] ABB’s November 13, 2025 release names its second order for Harwood: low- and medium-voltage electrical architecture, medium-voltage switchgear and HiPerGuard medium-voltage uninterruptible power supplies. ABB supplies equipment; its announcement does not name an installation contractor or offer subcontracts.[37]
The power connection is a separate utility workstream. The Public Service Commission’s April 29 order granted Minnkota Power Cooperative a corridor certificate and route permit for the Agassiz line and substation in Cass County. The approved description covers about 1.74 miles of 345-kV line; the order gives an estimated $110 million cost and Minnkota’s December 2026 commercial-operation plan. Applied Digital told The Forum it would pay $112 million for substation and transmission upgrades. Those are differently attributed estimates, not two costs to sum.[22][33] The order is not a blanket award of construction subcontracts or proof that the line has entered service.
Who has a documented role?
Applied Digital is the developer, owner and future campus operator, according to its releases. The October 2025 agreement and March 2026 SEC filing identify a hyperscaler tenancy, not a construction-prime appointment.[1][6][7] Cass County Electric Cooperative supplies the campus through the local electricity system. Minnkota is the applicant for, and prospective owner and operator of, the permitted Agassiz transmission assets.[1][22]
Engineering News-Record named Century Builders, MBN Engineering and Midwest Inspection Services as project-team firms in its December 2025 account. It did not assign their exact contracts. Century later described its Harwood crew. The IBEW job board names Parsons Electric and Northern Valley Electrical Service in Polaris Forge Data Center calls at Harwood, which supports their work there but does not make either the campus-wide prime.[9][31][35]
ABB announced a Harwood electrical equipment order booked in the fourth quarter of 2025. It did not name the installation contractor.[37] McGough’s data-center portfolio does not establish a Harwood appointment. No cited source identifies a sole campus-wide general contractor.[9][31][35]
| Company | Documented role and evidence | Route for inquiry |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Digital | Developer and operator; owner announcements and SEC filing.[1][7] | Company contact for the correct buyer; general inquiry, not a bid board.[10] |
| Century Builders | ENR team listing and Century’s Harwood crew account; exact contract scope unstated.[9][31] | Century contact for building-trade qualification.[26] |
| ABB | Supplier of Harwood electrical architecture, switchgear and HiPerGuard UPS; installation award unstated.[37] | No project-specific subcontract route verified in ABB’s release.[37] |
| Parsons Electric and Northern Valley Electrical Service | Harwood employers named in IBEW electrical calls; neither established as campus-wide prime.[35] | IBEW Local 1426 dispatch, 701-478-5243, for workers.[35] |
| MBN Engineering and Midwest Inspection Services | Named by ENR as project-team firms; exact contracts unstated.[9] | Ask the owner or building buyer which team member handles the relevant scope.[9][10] |
| Cass County Electric and Minnkota Power Cooperative | Local electricity supply and permitted Agassiz transmission assets, respectively.[1][22] | Identify the Agassiz workstream when asking the relevant utility about procurement; permit is not a tender.[22] |
How can a contractor reach a buyer?
Start by identifying the workstream. For building work, Century Builders’ contact page lists `info@centurybuildersnd.com` and 701-371-6604. Ask whether it is buying your specific Harwood trade, building and phase, and request its qualification and estimating process. Its form says “Tell us what you’re building,” so do not represent it as a project-specific invitation or upload confidential pricing without a buyer’s instructions.[26][31] The Applied Digital contact page is a company-wide inquiry route; ask who manages the relevant package rather than assume the corporate inbox runs a public plan room.[10]
For transmission or substation work, Minnkota’s Agassiz permit is the proper project identifier to cite in an inquiry. Ask Minnkota or its awarded contractors who is purchasing the line, civil, transformer, switchgear and commissioning scopes. The PSC order establishes permission and the applicant, not procurement availability.[22] Check the issuing party, site, bid deadline, approved drawings, insurance and bonding rules, labor terms and payment chain in any actual solicitation.
Harwood’s land-use approval is not a city purchase. Fargo’s older annexation dispute also should not send private contractors to a municipal bid site. In December 2025, Fargo voted to end its attempt to annex the Applied Digital land. The September controversy remains relevant context, but it is not the current annexation posture described by the later report.[3][24] This research did not verify a live named-site public tender, owner supplier portal or chamber request for proposals. Ask the project buyer directly rather than treating a general registration as an award.
Jobs and apprenticeship routes
The Forum reported roughly 1,800 people working on construction and a company estimate of 200 to 250 employees after opening. Neither figure counts vacancies.[33] Applied Digital lists its own positions on its careers page; confirm the location and assignment on each listing.[13]
These calls were visible on October 28, 2026. Their posted dates differ from the observation date. Check the boards before travel; do not add the counts into a current hiring total.[35][34]
| Posted date | Source and Harwood call | Displayed terms | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 9, 2026 | IBEW Local 1426: Parsons Electric, 20 journeyman electricians at Polaris Forge.[35] | $44.80/hour; six 10-hour days. State journeyman license, drug test and two forms of ID; incentive and per diem depend on stated conditions.[35] | Check call rules; dispatch 701-478-5243.[35] |
| August 24, 2026 | IBEW Local 1426: Northern Valley Electrical Service, eight journeymen and a separate one-person fire-alarm call at Polaris Forge.[35] | $44.80/hour; ND license on eight-person call, state journeyman license on fire-alarm call, drug test, background check and two forms of ID.[35] | Check current call and book rules; dispatch 701-478-5243.[35] |
| Date not shown; observed October 28, 2026 | UA manpower board: Polaris Forge 2, 25 pipefitters.[34] | $45.25 wages, $65.81 total compensation, two months, seven 10-hour days.[34] | Check the UA posting and ask Local 300 about referral.[34][27] |
IBEW says open-call bidders must phone dispatch rather than wait for a return call; travelers must use their home hall for book-signing documents. The board sets weekday bid hours and posts license conditions that vary by employer and call.[35] Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship covers training in fiber, controls and electrical code, not a job offer.[19]
For pipefitters, UA Local 300 lists Fargo business agent Mitch Heimark at 2101 Great Northern Drive, 701-237-5968. Its membership page tells prospective members to call their nearest office and describes a five-year apprenticeship.[27][32] Ask which employer owns the UA posting and whether it remains open.
Owner operations jobs and construction jobs are different. A site technician position may support an operating building after handover; a contractor’s field call may end when installation or commissioning finishes. Before relocating, get the employer, assignment address, start date, wage classification, overtime, lodging and travel terms from the offer or hall referral. Do not turn a regional trade listing into a project-specific job.
North Dakota credentials before bidding or traveling
North Dakota’s Secretary of State says construction jobs over $4,000 require a contractor license, including subcontractors and nonresident firms. Check the applicable class and registration before pricing a Harwood package.[16] The State Electrical Board requires licensure for parties offering electrical installation and describes apprenticeship registration within six months of employment. It lists master and journeyman reciprocity, but applicants must meet its examination, good-standing and continuous-license conditions; an out-of-state card does not automatically confer North Dakota work authority.[14][15][28]
The State Plumbing Board says apprentice plumbers must register within 30 days of starting work to receive apprenticeship-hour credit. Confirm plumbing and sewer/water classifications with the board for the actual scope.[17] For electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fire work, also ask the Harwood authority and the prime about local permits, supervision, site safety and insurance. A contractor license is not a bid award or guaranteed site access.
What could move the schedule?
Applied Digital’s August 2025 plan called the campus 280 MW. ABB’s November 2025 release calls it 300 MW across two 150 MW buildings, quoting Applied Digital’s Todd Gale on the building figures. The sources do not reconcile the two campus ratings or establish a delivered 20 MW expansion. The October 2025 lease covers 200 MW of critical IT load, a different measure. Its $5 billion is expected revenue over roughly 15 years; the 800 MW first-refusal right is an option, not leased construction.[1][37][6] A bid inquiry needs a named building, power phase and funded notice to proceed rather than a headline MW figure.
The $2.15 billion senior secured notes closed in March 2026, according to Applied Digital’s SEC filing. The filing also describes escrow and conditions on how proceeds are released. It is evidence of a financing transaction, not proof that every future expansion is funded or every trade has a signed contract.[7] Utility service and handover remain schedule dependencies: Minnkota planned December 2026 operation for its connection, while Applied Digital targeted Harwood’s initial operations before year-end. Neither target is an observed in-service certificate.[22][21]
Polaris Forge 2 questions
Is Polaris Forge 2 the CoreWeave site?
No. Applied Digital identifies CoreWeave with Polaris Forge 1 in Ellendale. Its March 2026 filing calls Oracle the current lessee of the 200 MW critical IT phase at Polaris Forge 2 in Harwood.[29][7]
Who is building the Harwood data center?
Applied Digital develops the site. ENR identified Century Builders, MBN Engineering and Midwest Inspection Services as project-team firms. Century later showed its own Harwood crew. The retained sources do not define a campus-wide sole GC or the exact contract held by each team member.[9][31]
Is there an open Polaris Forge 2 bid portal?
We did not verify a named-site public bid board. Century has a direct contact page, while Applied Digital has a general inquiry page. Ask the purchasing firm for the correct package and qualification process; neither page is itself a Harwood solicitation.[26][10]
Are the 1,800 construction workers job openings?
No. The Forum described roughly 1,800 people already working on the buildings. Separately, the IBEW board named Harwood electrical calls and the UA board listed pipefitters at Polaris Forge 2. Check the hall’s current posting and dispatch rules, rather than treating the reported workforce total as open jobs.[33][35][34]
Did Harwood approve construction, and is the power connection permitted?
Harwood gave final rezoning and building-permit approval in September 2025, according to local reporting. The state PSC granted Minnkota a separate Agassiz transmission corridor and route permit in April 2026. An individual trade still needs to check the permits and qualifications tied to its own work.[3][22]
Is the campus already operating at 280 MW?
No operating capacity at Harwood is established by these figures. Applied Digital’s August 2025 plan described 280 MW; ABB’s November 2025 release described 300 MW across two 150 MW buildings; the Oracle-linked lease concerns 200 MW of critical IT load. The sources do not explain the campus-rating difference. Applied Digital still projected initial Harwood operations by year-end in October 2026.[1][37][7][21]
When will Polaris Forge 2 open?
Applied Digital projected initial Harwood operations by the end of 2026 in its October 7 update. Company executives told The Forum in its September 12 report that the remaining portion would open in early 2027. Those are targets, not confirmation of an opening or full operation.[21][33]
For wider project and workforce context, see the AI data-center construction and workforce hub. Its other project routes do not transfer automatically to Harwood.
Method
Sources include Applied Digital filings, ABB’s November 13 release, the PSC order, The Forum’s September 12 report, licensing boards and union calls checked October 28, 2026. Confirm changing bid, job and permit terms with the issuing party before committing money or travel.
Sources
- Applied Digital: Harwood campus announcement (2025-08-18)
- North Dakota Monitor: Harwood approval (2025-09-10)
- Data center developer looks west, backs power upgrades near Fargo (date not verified)
- Applied Digital: 200 MW tenant lease (2025-10-22)
- Applied Digital: March 2026 financing (SEC) (2026-03-10)
- ENR: Harwood project team and annexation dispute (2025-12)
- Contact – Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) (date not verified)
- Careers – Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) (date not verified)
- North Dakota State Electrical Board – Licensing (date not verified)
- North Dakota State Electrical Board – Apprenticeship Information & Registration (date not verified)
- Contractors (date not verified)
- FAQ | NDStatePlumbingBoard (date not verified)
- Dakotas Electrical Apprenticeship – HOME (date not verified)
- Applied Digital: October 2026 results (2026-10-07)
- North Dakota PSC: Agassiz line and substation order (2026-04-29)
- KVRR: Fargo ends annexation process (2025-12-08)
- Start a Project : Fargo, ND (date not verified)
- UNITED ASSOCIATION LOCAL 300 (date not verified)
- North Dakota State Electrical Board – Reciprocal License Agreements & Requirements (date not verified)
- Applied Digital Achieves Ready for Service for Phase 1 at Polaris Forge 1 Building 1 for CoreWeave (2025-10-27)
- Century Builders: Harwood crew (2026-07-06)
- Members (date not verified)
- The Forum: inside the Harwood construction site (date not verified)
- United Association: manpower postings (date not verified)
- IBEW Local 1426: job calls and dispatch (date not verified)
- ABB expands power technology partnership with Applied Digital for AI-ready data centers (2025-11-13)