South Dakota, year by year.
Every act on the record for South Dakota, on the day it happened, newest first by month. Under each month, one tap away, the background, plans and statements the same sources carried. The counts are the state hub's records; nothing is estimated.
The record by year
On the record as of October 27, 2026.
An act sits on the day it happened: the day its own sentence names, or the day its source gives for it. An act the record knows only from the date of the article that reported it sits under that article's month, one tap away, marked Reported with the article's date. So do background, plans and statements, which are not acts. The same act reported by several sources is one line with the reports behind it, on its day where any of them dates it. The milestones alone, for every state, are on the timeline.
8 acts on the line for South Dakota, from 33 dated lines in the records' histories and the scorecard. 11 more acts are dated only by the article that reported them and sit under their month. 2 lines report an act already listed. 12 lines are background, plans or statements. 2 lines sit on a date other than the one they were filed under, because their own sentence names the day, the month or the year it happened; each says so. Where a line sits is read from its own words and the row is never changed (how dates are read).
2026 7 acts on the line; 11 reported, dated only by the article; 12 lines of background, plans and statements
October 2026 1 act on the line
Rapid City held a town hall survey on data center policy with over 220 residents participating, with most responses opposing data centers or supporting strict controls.
sdpb.org (opens in a new tab), local outlet
September 2026 2 acts on the line; 7 reported; 8 lines of background, plans and statements
Rapid City Planning Commission voted unanimously on September 10 to delay a vote on proposed data center ordinance amendments to the November 4 meeting
rapidcityjournal.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Leola Data Center is a 50 megawatt facility proposed in a one story building 120 feet wide by 400 feet long at 116th Street and 358th Avenue, about four miles west of Leola
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab), national outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
Reported in September 2026, dated only by the article that carried them: 7 acts
South Dakota introduced SB 232 for moratorium on data center construction until June 2027; bill failed.
mashable.com (opens in a new tab), national outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
South Dakota passed a Data Center Bill of Rights banning certain tax exemptions and protecting water resources.
northeastradiosd.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
State legislators debated data center tax incentives and property tax relief, with concerns about utility rate increases and foreign ownership.
northeastradiosd.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission approved Montana Dakota Utilities as electric provider for Leola Data Center
sdpb.org (opens in a new tab), local outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
1 more report of this
- Reported September 9 South Dakota Public Utilities Commission approved Montana Dakota Utilities to serve Leola Data Center power sdpb.org (opens in a new tab)
South Dakota Legislature passed protections requiring data centers 10 MW or higher to pay for electricity rate increases they cause
sdpb.org (opens in a new tab), local outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
1 more report of this
- Reported September 9 South Dakota Legislature passed protections for residential customers requiring data centers 10 MW or higher to pay for electricity rate increases they cause sdpb.org (opens in a new tab)
South Dakota Legislature approved a Republican sponsored law requiring data centers to pay costs of their electricity and water
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab), national outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
South Dakota passed a law requiring data center operators to cover their own electrical usage and infrastructure expenses
aarp.org (opens in a new tab), news outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
Also on the record for September 2026, not acts of their own: 8 lines of background, plans and statements
The proposed ordinance would define hyperscale data centers as centers using 30 or more megawatts of power at peak demand or more than 10,000 gallons of water a day
rapidcityjournal.com (opens in a new tab) (a plan or a schedule, not an act yet)
Large scale data centers are defined as using more than 10 megawatts but up to a maximum of 30 megawatts at peak demand and using a maximum of 10,000 gallons of water a day
rapidcityjournal.com (opens in a new tab) (a description, not an act)
Micro data centers are defined as having a peak power demand of up to 10 megawatts and no more than 3,000 gallons of water per day
rapidcityjournal.com (opens in a new tab) (a description, not an act)
Democratic Public Utilities Commission candidate calls for one year ban on new AI data centers in South Dakota
bhpioneer.com (opens in a new tab) (a statement; who said what is on the statements pages)
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will consider on September 8 whether to allow Montana Dakota Utilities to provide power to Leola Data Center
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab) (a plan or a schedule, not an act yet)
McPherson County Commission, acting as county Board of Adjustment, will decide on conditional use permit for Leola Data Center
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab) (a plan or a schedule, not an act yet)
Montana Dakota Utilities would provide electricity to Leola Data Center in second half of 2027
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab) (a plan or a schedule, not an act yet)
Construction could start this fall after conditional use permit received
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab) (a plan or a schedule, not an act yet)
August 2026 4 acts on the line; 4 reported; 3 lines of background, plans and statements
Minnehaha County presented an initial data center ordinance draft to the Planning Commission on Monday, August 25, 2026
dakotanewsnow.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Lincoln County Commission voted to reject a moratorium proposal on August 25, 2026
argusleader.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Lincoln County Commission voted 3-2 against a data center moratorium on August 25, 2026
siouxfallslive.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet
Aberdeen City Council held first of three meetings on Monday to discuss proposed data center ordinance
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab), national outlet (the weekday its sentence names, the last before the report; filed under Aug 18, 2026)
Reported in August 2026, dated only by the article that carried them: 4 acts
Commissioners voted 3 to 2 against the moratorium amendment with Landeen, Schmidt, and Otten voting against
argusleader.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
Sioux Falls City Council voted unanimously to pass the resolution with the amendment for the October 27 public hearing
argusleader.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
Lincoln County Commission and Sioux Falls City Council agreed to meet again on the last Tuesday in October 2026
siouxfallslive.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
McPherson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to postpone a decision following an executive session at a special meeting
dakotanewsnow.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet (dated only by the report that carried it, so under the month of the report)
Also on the record for August 2026, not acts of their own: 3 lines of background, plans and statements
19 Democratic legislative candidates have taken the Data Center Accountability Pledge, committing to taking action against data center expansion in South Dakota
sdstandardnow.com (opens in a new tab) (a description, not an act)
Amendment to schedule a public hearing on data center regulation on October 27, 2026 passed with a vote
argusleader.com (opens in a new tab) (no act in the sentence)
South Dakota passed a bill of rights last legislative session to address data centre electricity costs, water usage and local authority.
dakotanewsnow.com (opens in a new tab) (an act at a time its sentence does not give)
January 2026 No acts on the line; 1 line of background, plans and statements
Also on the record for January 2026, not acts of their own: 1 line of background, plans and statements
South Dakota Senate Bill 135, the data center bill of rights, passed in the last legislative session.
sdpb.org (opens in a new tab) (an act at a time its sentence does not give)
2023 1 act on the line
2023, no month given 1 act
In 2023, South Dakota PUC approved Montana Dakota Utilities request to establish new rate available to data center type facilities housing high density computer processing technology
yahoo.com (opens in a new tab), national outlet (the year its own sentence names; filed under Sep 2, 2026)