Promise or Peril for Power, Water, and Communities?
By Renee Pirtz
Read the complete article: Montana Data Center Boom
As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and global tech demand surge, Montana has unexpectedly become a hotspot for hyperscale data centers. Vast open land, naturally cool nights, and access to long-haul fiber optics have drawn major developers scouting the Mountain West. But with proposals accelerating—NorthWestern Energy in talks with at least 11 entities, including signed letters of intent or agreements with companies like Quantica Infrastructure (planning up to 1,000 MW south of Broadview), Sabey Data Centers (250 MW west of Butte), and Atlas Power Group (150 MW expansion in Butte)—Montanans are asking hard questions: Who really benefits, and at what cost to our grid, water, and way of life?
One of the most consequential proposals now driving public concern is the massive 5,000‑acre data center planned south of Broadview in Yellowstone County, led by Quantica Infrastructure through its Big Sky Digital Infrastructure platform.
According to reporting from the Billings Gazette, NorthWestern Energy has issued a non‑binding letter of intent to supply up to 1,000 MW of electricity to the project— an extraordinary amount equal to roughly two-thirds of the power NorthWestern currently owns.
Read the complete article: Montana Data Center Boom
