Workers prepare the ground for what will become a solar farm north of Mapleton, North Dakota, on Sept. 11, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)
MAPLETON, N.D. (KFGO) – A pending legal review into an alleged conflict of interest in Cass County could disrupt state regulatory filings for a proposed multi-million-dollar energy and data center development west of Fargo.
Harmony Township leaders are awaiting a formal opinion from Township Attorney Sarah Wear regarding whether key zoning votes cast in July are legally void. The inquiry centers on former Township Board Chairman Tom Roden, who signed a private land purchase agreement with developer Geronimo Power in May but voted on July 21 to amend township zoning ordinances without disclosing the deal.
The July ordinance revisions raised allowable noise thresholds and designated battery energy storage systems as a permitted use in agricultural districts. On July 28, Geronimo’s legal counsel submitted notice to the North Dakota Public Service Commission claiming the company’s proposed $249 million battery storage facility was fully authorized locally as a permitted use.
If the township attorney determines Roden’s undisclosed contract invalidates the July board vote under state conflict-of-interest statutes, Geronimo’s claim of local authorization before state regulators could collapse.
The potential legal hurdle comes as local residents push back against Geronimo’s broader infrastructure plans, which include a 540-megawatt data center, a 200-megawatt solar farm, and the battery storage site. Area residents have voiced concerns over noise, peak water demands of 20,000 gallons per day, and the loss of prime agricultural land.
The Public Service Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the battery storage project on Oct. 23 in Casselton. The Harmony Township Board of Supervisors meets next on Oct. 20.
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