Butte Puts Data Centers to a Vote

Butte-Silver Bow County is weighing tighter control of data center development through a ballot initiative and a proposed temporary moratorium.

A court dispute over whether petition signatures were collected under a retroactively changed deadline first moved toward November ballot placement, but the citizens group later lost at the district court level and is appealing. County officials and residents are also seeking more time to assess infrastructure, environmental, economic, quality-of-life, and electricity-rate impacts before new projects proceed.