Yellowstone County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Billings and Laurel
The data center boom is not abstract in Yellowstone County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Yellowstone County, 35% of Montana's total. Yellowstone County is home to Billings and Laurel. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “How Montana’s ‘Right to Compute Act’ stymies data center regulation”. 50 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Beartooth Energy Storage, LLC (battery storage), the 3rd largest pipeline among Montana's counties. Electrical contractors employ 541, up 40.5% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $73,228 a year.
Cities and towns in Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County is home to Billings and Laurel.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Acton, Ballantine, Custer, Huntley, Lockwood, Mountain View Colony, Nibbe, Pompeys Pillar, Shepherd, Worden.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Yellowstone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 165,208 | 172,692 | ▲ 4.5% | 1st of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 81,939 | 87,416 | ▲ 6.7% | 22nd of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,335 | $64,980 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,461 | 5,926 | ▲ 8.5% | 23rd of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 385 | 541 | ▲ 40.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 175 | 240 | ▲ 37.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 184 | 224 | ▲ 21.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 287 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 50 MW | 14% of today's fleet | 3rd of 4 by size |
Construction employs 5,926, up 8.5% since 2019. 287 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 87,416 jobs in 2025, up 6.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 360 MW of capacity, 58% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Montana. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Yellowstone County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. 172,692 people live here, up 4.5% since 2020, 1st of 56 Montana counties by population. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Who powers Yellowstone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +287 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Yellowstone County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 328,127 | 14.23¢ | 49% |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,182 | 13.35¢ | 24% |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,682 | 15.52¢ | 74% |
| Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 79% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 207 MW | 58% |
| Solar | 80 MW | 22% |
| Petroleum | 68 MW | 19% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 0% |
| Coal | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County Generating Station | NorthWestern Energy (MT wind/thermal) | Natural gas | 207 MW | 2024 |
| MTSUN | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 80 MW | 2023 |
| Yellowstone Energy LP | Yellowstone Energy LP | Petroleum | 68 MW | 1995 |
| Two Dot Wind Broadview East LLC | Two Dot Wind Broadview East LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Phillips 66 Billings Refinery | Phillips 66 Billings Refinery | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2007 |
| Western Sugar Cooperative - Billings | Western Sugar Cooperative - Billings | Coal | 2 MW | 2011 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beartooth Energy Storage LLC | Batteries | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Beartooth Energy Storage, LLC |
The Yellowstone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 87,416 | $64,980 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,926 | $78,225 | 1.28 |
| Electrical contractors | 541 | $73,228 | 0.86 |
| Power and communication line construction | 240 | $129,806 | 1.70 |
| Electric utilities | 224 | $122,980 | 0.95 |
| Data processing and hosting | 37 | $181,272 | 0.14 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Yellowstone County
7 data centers in Yellowstone County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Montana’s ‘Right to Compute Act’ stymies data center regulation | In force | 2026-09 |
Yellowstone County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Yellowstone County, Rosebud County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County | 172,692 | ▲ 6.7% | 360 MW | 50 MW | 7 | 1 |
| Big Horn County | 12,752 | ▼ 7.6% | 397 MW | — | — | — |
| Carbon County | 11,466 | ▲ 14.3% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Golden Valley County | 844 | ▲ 22.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Musselshell County | 5,582 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Rosebud County | 8,253 | ▼ 4.6% | 2,262 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Stillwater County | 9,445 | ▼ 16.6% | 342 MW | — | — | — |
| Treasure County | 728 | ▲ 4.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Yellowstone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yellowstone County, Montana?
5 utilities have service territory in Yellowstone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op, Fergus Electric Coop, Inc, Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Billings, MT in?
Billings is in Yellowstone County, Montana. About 121,239 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Yellowstone County?
6 operating plants with 360 MW of capacity. The largest is Yellowstone County Generating Station (207 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Yellowstone County?
50 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Beartooth Energy Storage, LLC.
Are there data centers in Yellowstone County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Yellowstone County.
Is Yellowstone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 87,416 jobs in 2025 against 81,939 in 2019 (+6.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,461 to 5,926.
Does Yellowstone County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Yellowstone County, 1 in force.