Yellowstone County's handling of a proposed data center complex north of Billings has become a major flashpoint in Montana, drawing a packed commission meeting where residents argued that the project could transform their area and strain local resources.
Many people who showed up cast the dispute as something larger than one development proposal, saying it reflects whether residents truly have a say in decisions with significant environmental and economic effects, according to the Livingston Enterprise.
Here's what to know
At the meeting, residents asked Yellowstone County commissioners to allow a countywide data center moratorium to appear on ballots this November.
But the board took no action. The Broadview proposal spans nearly eight square miles.
That appeal followed an unsuccessful attempt to qualify the question through the citizen initiative process.
Organizers said they collected 14,980 signatures, falling short of the 16,560 needed after a judge ruled the filing period had already ended.
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Part of the anger stemmed from uncertainty over when those signatures were due.
In June, county election officials told organizers they had until Aug. 12, but a change approved during the 2025 legislative session had actually moved the deadline up to July 13.
"Industry knew the law better than the government administering it, and citizens bore the consequence," Tana Lee, a local real estate agent, told commissioners, per the Livingston Enterprise.
Commenters said the project could carry environmental consequences, with particular concern over how much water it might use and whether it could drive up electricity prices for local ratepayers.
More background
Facilities like these use enormous amounts of power and water, especially for cooling, which has intensified concerns about utility costs, strain on infrastructure, and broader environmental impacts.
As the session continued, the atmosphere became more confrontational, with Yellowstone County Commission Chair Mark Morse repeatedly sparring with speakers while boos and applause broke out in the room.
After commenter Sonia Davis objected to his tone, Morse responded, "It's your clock you're running out," referring to a three-minute speaking limit, the Livingston Enterprise reported.
"Mr. Morse, there's no excuse for rudeness," said another commenter, Valerie McMurtry.
Residents argue they are being left to absorb the impacts of a major development without any meaningful role in shaping the decision.
What's being done?
Those opposing the project are looking at multiple ways to delay or stop it.
Kassi Solberg, a Broadview resident who has helped lead the organizing effort, wanted commissioners to use their own authority to place the moratorium on the ballot, but she was not given time on the agenda.
Morse said after the meeting that Solberg's idea would need to be discussed first at one of the board's discussion meetings before it could move to the regular business agenda for a vote.
Commissioners are also expected to weigh interim zoning, which could temporarily halt development.
Other parts of Montana have already taken that route. In July, Missoula County approved emergency interim zoning to stop data center development for one year.
Brian Miller, a lawyer and Democratic congressional candidate representing Solberg in the challenge, suggested that a special election could be another possible path, though it would require more signatures, the Livingston Enterprise reported.
"I would like my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren to have the privilege I have had of living in a democracy where people are involved in their government and have a voice," Billings resident Janice Ricci Roberts told commissioners, per the Livingston Enterprise.
Where can I learn more?
Yellowstone County is hardly the only place wrestling with a fast-moving data center proposal.
In communities from Oklahoma to Wisconsin to New Hampshire, residents have packed public meetings, pushed officials to slow down, and raised many of the same concerns about power demand, water use, and who gets a real say in the process.
• In Yukon, Oklahoma, residents called for the mayor to be recalled as a data center fight consumed a council meeting.
• In Janesville, Wisconsin, officials had to seek a bigger venue after residents packed meetings over a data center plan.
• In Tonawanda, New York, hundreds packed a meeting before the town board tabled a 300-megawatt proposal.
• In Festus, Missouri, the city council approved a $6 billion data center despite strong opposition from residents.
• In Nottingham, New Hampshire, statewide backlash forced officials to move a data center hearing to a larger venue.
These disputes show how quickly data center proposals can turn into broader local political battles, far beyond Montana.
They also illustrate the procedural fights, public pressure, and emergency steps Yellowstone County residents are currently dealing with.
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