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Last Update: 10/27/2026 at 5:34 AM EST
Montana Data Centers
Coverage from Q2 News (KTVQ), Missoula County Voice, and others
Proposed data centers across Montana have raised questions about how communities should weigh investment and construction jobs against demands on electricity, water, and nearby residents.
Counties have considered zoning changes and temporary pauses, while residents and local groups have pursued petitions and voter-approval measures to influence whether projects can proceed. Quantica Infrastructure’s proposed Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus near Broadview and a proposed facility at Bonner Mill Industrial Park illustrate how project siting connects to broader debates over local authority, utility capacity and costs, and environmental review.
Looking Back
137 Day Timeline
May 11
Jun 4
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Jul 19
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All Articles71 articles
Important
Quantica's proposed Big Sky Campus near Broadview, Montana, would use 1,100 megawatts and deep-aquifer water with closed-loop cooling, while residents' referendum effort was rejected over a filing deadline error.
9/1/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Missoula County officials are evaluating interim and long-term data center zoning during comprehensive planning for unincorporated Missoula County, Montana.
8/27/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Quantica Infrastructure began initial construction for a proposed Broadview, Montana, data center as county officials faced unresolved legal limits under the 2025 Right to Compute Act.
9/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County commissioners in Montana are reviewing whether interim zoning can restrict Quantica Infrastructure's proposed data center near Broadview without violating the 2025 Right to Compute Act.
9/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Judge Frank Joseph on August 12 temporarily blocked Butte-Silver Bow County, Montana, from applying a retroactive signature deadline to a data center ballot initiative.
8/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
406 People First sued Butte-Silver Bow County in Montana after election officials retroactively changed the deadline for a data center ballot initiative, prompting Judge Frank Joseph to order temporary ballot protection.
8/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on new or expanding data centers after concerns about environmental and public health impacts, with regulation updates and a 30-day study requirement.
7/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on new or expanded data centers, directing a 30-day emergency study to update health and environmental zoning rules.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners passed a year-long moratorium on new AI data centers in Montana on Thursday to allow impact studies and new local regulations.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers on Thursday to study impacts and develop regulations in Montana.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a year-long moratorium on new AI data centers in Montana after Bonner opposition prompted calls for stronger regulations.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data center construction, excluding Missoula city limits, pending a 30-day emergency impact study.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a one-year temporary moratorium on new or expanded data centers in Montana, excluding Missoula city limits, while staff study health and environmental impacts.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County Citizens, led by Kassi Solberg, continued a data-center ballot initiative while Yellowstone County Commissioners filed a lawsuit, in Montana, over initiative authority.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County seeks a court ruling on a voter-approval initiative for data centers as Missoula County enacts a one-year moratorium pending revised zoning.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners approved a up-to-one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers, excluding Missoula city, while the county updates regulations.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County commissioners filed a lawsuit in Montana in response to a Supreme Court ruling limiting citizens initiatives over county land use authority.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners planned an interim zoning vote Thursday after Krambu's Bonner data center application support was withdrawn due to public environmental concerns.
7/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County, Montana, holds a July 9 hearing on interim zoning to pause data center development while updated health and resource impact regulations are drafted.
6/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Denise Kelly-led petitions in Butte-Silver Bow and Yellowstone County, Montana, collect signatures for a November vote requiring two-thirds approval for data center construction or expansion.
6/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County commissioners asked Montana legislators Tuesday to reconsider the Right to Compute Act, citing barriers to local data center regulation in Yellowstone County.
9/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County seeks a district court ruling on a voter-approval initiative for future data center construction after Missoula County adopted a one-year zoning moratorium.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Opponents of Quantica Infrastructure's proposed data center near Broadview intensified a 2025 Montana Senate race by challenging Daniel Zolnikov over tax incentives, water use, electricity rates, and petition procedures.
8/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
A Yellowstone County District Court judge upheld county officials’ rejection of a supermajority ballot initiative targeting Quantica Infrastructure’s proposed data center near Broadview, Montana.
8/15/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Groups collecting signatures in Montana seek two thirds voter approval for data center construction in Yellowstone and Butte-Silver Bow amid power and water impact concerns.
6/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Quantica Infrastructure plans a Broadview, Montana data center using 1,785 MW of gas-fired generation, while Montana DEQ emails flag likely Major NSR-PSD air permitting and review.
5/21/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Quantica Infrastructure seeks up to 7,235 MW grid interconnection for the Big Sky campus near Broadview, Montana, with NorthWestern Energy and Montana DEQ permitting through 2029.
5/20/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Yellowstone County Judge Ed Zink on Tuesday denied Kassi Solberg's request to extend signature collection for a data-center ballot initiative opposing developments including Quantica's proposed Broadview facility.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Yellowstone County officials in Montana changed the deadline for a voter petition concerning Quantica Infrastructure's proposed Broadview data center campus from August 12 to July 13.
8/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
Yellowstone County residents urged commissioners Tuesday in Billings, Montana, to place a countywide data center moratorium on the ballot and consider interim zoning for Quantica Infrastructure's proposed Broadview campus.
8/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In a recent column, Dustin Ogdin urged Yellowstone County residents to oppose Quantica Infrastructure's proposed hyperscale data center in Broadview, Montana, citing power, water, environmental, and governance concerns.
9/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Butte-Silver Bow County commissioners voted unanimously on September 2 in Butte, Montana, to prepare a temporary data center moratorium as power concerns and a ballot initiative lawsuit continued.
9/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County, Montana, halted a proposed 29-megawatt Bonner AI data center when a property owner withdrew a signature from KRAMBU's special-exception application in response to public concerns.
7/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County scheduled July 9 consideration of interim zoning for data centers to impose a temporary development and expansion pause while updated health and environmental rules are developed.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County commissioners hold a July 9 hearing to consider interim zoning that would pause data center development while updated health and environmental safeguards are developed.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Denise Kelly and 406 People First seek Montana ballot votes on data center approvals in Butte-Silver Bow and Yellowstone County amid water and utility-rate concerns.
6/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Missoula County requested additional information from Krambu for a Bonner Miller Road data center special exception, leaving the MCCLUB hearing date undetermined.
6/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Krambu seeks Missoula County approval for a Bonner Industrial Park data center using closed-loop evaporative and dry cooling under a July 1 special exception hearing.
5/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Krambu filed with Missoula County to redevelop the Bonner mill site into a data center using closed-loop evaporative cooling with on-site well water and planned treatment-facility discharge.
5/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Montana voters expressed broad opposition to nearby data centers in a 2026 poll, while lawmakers and regulators considered protections against higher utility costs.
9/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research presented in Kalispell a hypothetical Broadview-area data center scenario showing tax gains alongside utility and environmental concerns.
8/2/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
In Montana, NorthWestern Energy deals with data centers drew Public Service Commission and community scrutiny over ratepayer funding for grid and power upgrades.
5/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Cari Olson and Elijah Tidswell are challenging Montana Sen. Daniel Zolnikov in Billings in a write-in race shaped by opposition to Quantica Infrastructure's proposed Broadview data center and related tax incentives.
8/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Yellowstone County residents reported alleged harassment during data-center petition collection in Billings on Tuesday as Judge Ed Zink ruled the measure missed the November ballot deadline.
8/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Yellowstone County Voices continued collecting signatures in Yellowstone County after officials said a revised Montana statute moved the deadline for a ballot question on Quantica's proposed Broadview data center to July 13.
8/5/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
The Golden Triangle Resource Council asked Cascade County commissioners in Great Falls, Montana, to impose a temporary hyperscale data center moratorium during a Tuesday meeting.
7/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Great Falls residents and the Great Falls Development Alliance are organizing in July around the Ratepayer Protection Pledge as data center proposals emerge across Montana.
7/17/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Krambu halted a Bonner, Montana data center proposal after a Missoula-area online petition and community concerns over water, power, and contamination risk, according to Missoula County.
7/8/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Montana residents in Broadview area are pursuing a petition to place a voter-approval requirement for a Quantica 5,000-acre data center on the Nov. 3 ballot.
6/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Montana state Senator Ellie Boldman requested legislation for the 2027 session to ban large-scale data centers statewide, citing opposition to a proposed Bonner facility and resource pressures.
8/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Quantica Infrastructure began first-phase construction of the Broadview Data Center in September near Broadview, Montana, as residents challenged zoning and water plans.
9/18/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Quantica Infrastructure executives donated to Montana candidates in October 2024 before the company announced its Big Sky Digital Infrastructure project near Broadview, Montana.
9/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana residents and advocacy groups urged the Montana Public Service Commission in Helena to scrutinize NorthWestern Energy's resource plan for data-center load and customer cost risks.
7/30/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
NorthWestern Energy seeks PSC approval for data center serving terms in Montana, while an Earthjustice-led coalition requests a dedicated data center customer class.
7/14/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
NorthWestern Energy filed a Large New Load Tariff proposal with the Montana Public Service Commission in Missoula to charge 5 MW-or-more data center loads for infrastructure upgrades.
6/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
NorthWestern Energy filed a Montana PSC tariff case for data center large loads in March 2026, prompting intervention petitions from state DEQ, cities, consumer advocates, industry, and conservation groups.
6/22/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Earthjustice filed an intervention petition with the Montana Public Service Commission in NorthWestern Energy's data center tariff proceeding, seeking public transparency and stronger protections for residential ratepayers.
6/15/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
NorthWestern Energy filed large-load electric rate proposals with the Montana Public Service Commission, drawing nine intervention requests tied to data-center power planning.
6/30/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
NorthWestern Energy CEO Brian Bird testified at a Montana Public Service Commission hearing on a proposed $15.4 billion merger with Black Hills, linking data center discussions to growth and potential rate issues in 2026.
5/14/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana residents and advocacy groups have blocked or delayed proposed AI data centers in Bonner and Missoula County while seeking statewide development restrictions.
8/29/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana Public Service Commission review of a NorthWestern Energy-Black Hills Corp merger coincides with anticipated electricity demand from large data centers exceeding current customer load.
7/17/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Groundwater Butte urged Butte County residents to oppose potential artificial intelligence data centers before a permitting and zoning presentation in Oroville on August 5.
8/3/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Quantica Infrastructure and the Southeastern Montana Building and Construction Trades Council signed an MOU for Big Sky Campus near Broadview, Montana, while Montana environmental groups questioned power, water, and community impacts.
6/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Montana voters broadly oppose nearby data centers, while lawmakers and regulators consider electricity-cost protections ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
9/10/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana's Energy and Technology Interim Committee advanced a draft bill Wednesday requiring the Public Service Commission to protect electricity customers from data center infrastructure costs.
9/9/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
A Montana legislative committee advanced draft legislation requiring regulators and large data center customers to bear infrastructure risks rather than existing residential ratepayers.
9/9/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
The University of Montana's BBER presented 2026 projections for Yellowstone County data center jobs and tax revenue while Montana communities challenged proposed facilities over water, utility rates, and regulation.
7/29/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
During a Montana Public Service Commission hearing, NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Corp. faced questions about data center load discussions and residential rate impacts ahead of expected 2026 approval.
5/14/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • General
Tony O'Donnell filed to intervene in a NorthWestern Energy tariff case in Montana on June 19, targeting cost allocation rules for 5+ megawatt data centers.
7/1/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana Democrats in Billings advanced a two-year data center moratorium on June 20, citing power bills and cooling-water scarcity as AI demand accelerates.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Montana Public Service Commission held a four-day hearing in Helena on a proposed NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Energy merger as data center load and rate impacts became central issues.
5/13/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General