When you think of cutting-edge aerospace and defense technology, Fargo, North Dakota might not jump to mind, but Packet Digital and its sister company Badland Batteries are changing that. Led by CEO Terri Zimmerman, Packet Digital is on a mission to onshore critical drone battery manufacturing — reducing dependence on overseas suppliers and creating high-quality technology jobs right in North Dakota.
To build cutting-edge battery cells for some of the most demanding customers in the UAS, submersibles, and satellite industries, Packet Digital needed more than just electricity - they needed a partner who could grow and adapt alongside them.
“We are building the future of American energy storage and autonomy,” said Zimmerman. “When we made the decision to also expand into battery cell production, one of the first things we did was pick up the phone and call Xcel Energy.”
Expanding a high-tech manufacturing operation like a battery cell plant requires power infrastructure that can keep pace with rapid growth — and that’s exactly what Xcel Energy delivered.
“As part of the project, Xcel Energy undergrounded new feeder lines to serve the property and serve the project,” said Shawn Paschke, Xcel Energy account manager. “We were initially going to add one transformer here [at the new Badland Batteries facility], but as the needs progressed and the project got bigger, we ended up adding four.”
That kind of forward-thinking infrastructure investment is what Zimmerman points to as a defining characteristic of the partnership. “Xcel Energy brought a very proactive approach to understanding our power needs — not only what we needed in the beginning, but where we were going over time.”
In advanced battery manufacturing, a power disruption isn’t just an inconvenience — it can bring production lines to a halt and compromise sensitive processes. Packet Digital depends on consistent, reliable power to maintain the precision its batteries demand.
“Reliability is very important to all of our customers, especially Packet Digital,” said Paschke. “If we have any type of power issue, that can affect their manufacturing lines. Packet Digital is relying on us to provide reliable power.”
From Fargo to the field: Batteries in action
The batteries rolling off Packet Digital’s lines aren’t sitting on warehouse shelves — they’re plugging into real-world missions across industries. iSight Drone Services, for example, relies on Packet Digital’s batteries when it conducts industrial inspections on wind turbines, solar panels, electric utility infrastructure, and agricultural operations – and as it turns an eye toward emerging uses like medical supply delivery.
“Having a local resource such as Packet Digital and Badland Batteries is paramount to us getting our job done,” said Doug McDonald, General Manager of iSight Drone Services.
The connection is as practical as it is powerful. Batteries manufactured in Fargo power drones that help keep pilots in a wide variety of industries operating. Onshoring the full manufacturing cycle of battery packs — from battery cells to packs ready to ship — will help make critical industries from defense and security to agriculture and commercial inspection mission ready.
American-made batteries
The future home of Badland Batteries — located less than a mile from Packet Digital’s existing battery pack assembly facility — will bring a full battery cell production ecosystem to Fargo, completing a local supply chain that eliminates the need to source critical components internationally.
“Instead of traveling overseas to purchase battery cells, we’re going to be able to create this innovation and jobs right here,” Zimmerman said. “After the cells are manufactured here at Badland, we’ll be able to ship them to our battery assembly plant, just a half mile south of the plant.”
It’s a model of domestic manufacturing that strengthens supply chain resilience, creates skilled jobs, and keeps innovation rooted in American communities.
“It’s very exciting to see how Xcel Energy is powering innovative technology such as the products coming out of Packet Digital,” said Paschke. “It’s a privilege to be part of a company that is able to do that.”