Montana Data Center Investment Tracker

Sabey Data Centers proposed two 500,000 sq ft buildings (1M sq ft total) on over 600 acres at Montana Connections Industrial Park in Butte, MT (Silver Bow County), requiring 325 MW of power and water-based cooling.

406 People First collected signatures for a Butte-Silver Bow initiative letting voters approve or reject data center development, after county officials told organizers the deadline was 14 August 2026. On 10 August the election administrator said state law required submission by 13 July, and the group sued on 12 August. In a 28 August 2026 ruling, District Judge Frank Joseph rejected the constitutional challenge and denied certification for the November ballot. The plaintiffs appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. On Tuesday 22 September 2026 the Montana Supreme Court granted an injunction, which the county did not oppose, barring Butte-Silver Bow from rejecting the initiative over the missed deadline while the appeal proceeds, so it can appear on the November ballot; the justices noted the result could still be invalidated if they later rule it was improperly placed. The initiative would require approval by two-thirds of all registered voters in a special election before the county could authorize a data center's construction or expansion. On 23 September the county said ballots had already been printed, and some mailed and returned, without the measure and asked the court for direction, proposing modified or supplemental ballots. On Thursday 24 September 2026 the Montana Supreme Court vacated its own 22 September injunction, less than 48 hours after issuing it, so the initiative will not appear on the November ballot. The court said it stood by its earlier reasoning but would not have granted the injunction had it known ballots were already printed and mailed, with some returned, and that Montana election law provides no process for adding an initiative or issuing supplemental ballots after ballots are prepared. The proponents, 406 People First, asked the court to reconsider; KBZK reported on 26 September 2026 that the court denied the rehearing petition, finding no exceptional circumstances.

The Butte-Silver Bow County Commission voted at its 2 September 2026 meeting to allow the county attorney to prepare a temporary moratorium on data center development, at the request of Commissioner Michelle Shea. Shea said a pause would allow public engagement and evaluation of infrastructure, economic, environmental and quality-of-life impacts. About half a dozen residents spoke in favor. The moratorium itself had not yet been adopted.

Fort Peck Reservation, Montana, enacted a local data center moratorium or ban, recorded in SAVRN's moratorium tracker as dated August 2026. Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board (Assiniboine and Sioux) voted to ban all future discussions between tribal government and data center developers, effectively blocking development on the reservation. Chairman Floyd Azure said three companies approached in the past year. Primary concern is water contamination, 'Fort Peck historically struggled with acquiring clean, drinkable water.'. The measure has no end date by design.

Withdrawn

KRAMBU, an Idaho-based company, applied to install an AI data center at Bonner Mill Industrial Park at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers (the 'A River Runs Through It' location).

Bonner Mill Industrial Park general manager Mike Heisey notified Missoula County on Monday 6 July 2026 that he was withdrawing his signature from Krambu's application for a data center in the former UFP Edge building, citing public concern about environmental impacts. Montana Free Press reported the proposal stalled as a result. The county had deemed the special exception application complete in May 2026 and scheduled a hearing for 1 July 2026. Missoula County commissioners separately took up an interim moratorium on new data centers that week.

Missoula County commissioners unanimously approved an interim zoning moratorium on data centers on Thursday 9 July 2026. It pauses new or expanding data centers for up to a year while the county updates regulations on public health, safety and natural resources. The measure applies countywide in zoned and unzoned areas but not within the City of Missoula, whose new zoning map has no districts allowing data centers. All 30 public commenters supported the moratorium.

Yellowstone County filed a lawsuit on Wednesday 8 July 2026 challenging the legality of a proposed citizen initiative that would let voters approve or deny data center projects before they develop. The initiative was prompted by Quantica's plan for a data center and power plant near the Broadview substation. The county asked a court to rule before signature gathering. The Billings Gazette later reported the county said the signature deadline had passed weeks earlier. The first initiative missed its signature deadline after volunteers collected 14,980 signatures. On Tuesday 6 October 2026 commissioners voted 3-0 to file a new validity lawsuit in District Court against Kassi Solberg's revised initiative aimed at a spring 2027 vote, which would require two-thirds voter approval before any data center in the county starts or resumes operations, require interim zoning that would pause the Broadview project, and require disclosure of county communications with the data center industry. The county argues counties lack authority to condition permits on an election.

Butte-Silver Bow commissioners had agreed in 2025 to sell 606 acres at the Montana Connections Business Development Park to Sabey Data Centers and in February 2026 extended the closing deadline to 11 August 2026. During title work Sabey found that REC Silicon, a tenant at the park, held a 1996 right of first refusal over much of the land; REC notified the county in April 2026 that it would exercise it. On Wednesday 16 September 2026 commissioners voted 8-1 to approve selling just over 627.8 acres to REC Silicon, which says it is buying the land as a safety buffer with no immediate plans to develop or sell it. The Montana Standard reports there will be no development on the property once earmarked for Sabey in the near future. Neither source reports a formal cancellation by Sabey; the land sale did not close and went to the right-of-first-refusal holder