Montana-Dakota Utilities Announces Electric Service Agreement with Applied Digital for Proposed AI Factory

BISMARCK, N.D., June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MDU Resources Group, Inc.'s (NYSE: MDU) subsidiary, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., has entered into an electric service agreement (ESA) with Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: APLD) to provide power to Polaris Forge 3, an AI Factory near Center, North Dakota.

At full capacity, the campus would require 430 megawatts of electricity. Under the ESA, Applied Digital would be responsible for the costs of purchasing the energy directly from the market or through other power supply arrangements. Applied Digital anticipates initial operations to commence in August 2027.

Polaris Forge 3 will expand Applied Digital's footprint in North Dakota, where the company is developing purpose-built campuses designed to support high-density artificial intelligence workloads. Applied Digital has previously announced a 15-year lease with a U.S. based high investment-grade hyperscaler for this site.

"Polaris Forge 3 is another example of how Applied Digital is turning power into operational AI capacity through disciplined execution and long-term partnerships," said Wes Cummins, Chairman and CEO of Applied Digital. "This campus is expected to create approximately 200 full-time jobs, generate meaningful property tax revenue and support long-term growth across Oliver County and the surrounding region. We believe AI infrastructure should create value well beyond the campus, and we're proud to continue building in North Dakota."

Montana-Dakota Utilities currently serves Applied Digital at Polaris Forge 1, its AI Factory near Ellendale, North Dakota, where the companies have worked together to integrate significant power demand while maintaining reliable, cost-effective service for customers, crediting $38.4 million back to North Dakota customers over the past three years.

"This proposed project reflects the growing interest in North Dakota as a location for large energy users," said Nicole Kivisto, president and CEO of MDU Resources. "We are committed to serving these customers in a way that benefits our communities, supports the regional grid and delivers value to our customers."

Approval of the ESA and other regulatory filings by the North Dakota Public Service Commission is required for the company to provide power under the agreement with Applied Digital.

About MDU Resources Group, Inc.
MDU Resources Group, Inc., a member of the S&P SmallCap 600 index, strives to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible electric utility and natural gas distribution services to more than 1.2 million customers across the Pacific Northwest and Midwest. In addition to its utility operations, the company's pipeline business operates a more than 3,800-mile natural gas pipeline network and storage system, ensuring reliable energy delivery across the Northern Plains. With a legacy spanning over a century, MDU Resources remains focused on energizing lives for a better tomorrow. For more information about MDU Resources, visit www.mdu.com or contact the investor relations department at [email protected].

About Applied Digital Corporation
Applied Digital (Nasdaq: APLD) named Best Data Center in the Americas 2025 by Datacloud — designs, builds, and operates high-performance, sustainably engineered data centers and colocation services for artificial intelligence, cloud, networking, and blockchain workloads. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, and founded in 2021, the company combines hyperscale expertise, proprietary waterless cooling, and rapid deployment capabilities to deliver secure, scalable compute at industry-leading speed and efficiency, while creating economic opportunities in underserved communities through its award-winning Polaris Forge AI Factory model. Learn more at applieddigital.com or follow @APLDdigital on X and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE MDU Resources Group, Inc.