Applied Digital has made a significant move by signing a $5 billion lease agreement with a U.S.-based hyperscaler for its Polaris Forge 2 campus, which is currently under construction near Harwood, North Dakota. This 15-year deal secures 200 megawatts (MW) of dedicated IT load, specifically designed to accommodate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. Additionally, the hyperscaler has gained a first right of refusal for an extra 800 MW, allowing the entire 1-gigawatt (GW) Polaris Forge 2 campus to expand in the future.
With this latest arrangement, Applied Digital now has a total of 600 MW contracted across its two North Dakota campuses—Polaris Forge 1 and 2—serving two of the world’s leading hyperscalers. This announcement highlights Applied Digital’s rapid growth as a key player in AI infrastructure development in the United States, driven by an unprecedented rise in demand for cloud and AI services.
Wes Cummins, Chairman and CEO of Applied Digital, emphasized the company’s quick execution capabilities, stating that it distinguishes them from competitors. He remarked, "Execution is the real constraint in this industry, and our team continues to show that large-scale, next-generation data centers can be designed, financed, and built faster and more efficiently than anyone thought possible."
The Polaris Forge 2 campus, covering 900 acres, is designed with high efficiency and sustainability in mind, aiming for a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.18 and nearly zero water consumption. The initial two buildings, which will provide 200 MW, are projected to start coming online in 2026 and will be fully operational by 2027. The innovative design includes liquid cooling systems and high-density power features, enabling the campus to manage the intense compute demands of AI and HPC workloads while minimizing environmental impact.
The agreement marks a notable achievement in what has been a year of unprecedented expansion for Applied Digital. Earlier in 2025, the company announced a 150 MW lease with CoreWeave at Polaris Forge 1, a $5 billion AI infrastructure partnership with Macquarie Asset Management, and received various awards for its innovation and community contributions. The company was also recognized as the top firm on the Dallas Business Journal’s “Fast 50” list, reflecting its rapid growth and leadership in digital infrastructure.
Applied Digital’s development model focuses on speed, sustainability, and regional optimization, with facilities strategically placed in the U.S. heartland to utilize affordable energy, favorable climatic conditions, and available land to support AI infrastructure expansion. Wes Cummins added, "Our AI factories are redefining how and where hyperscale infrastructure gets built." He emphasized that the next chapter of AI computing can be powered from the heartland, being built responsibly and delivered swiftly to meet the demands of the intelligence era.
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