1 data center project in Unincorporated Yellowstone County
Who decides here: the Yellowstone County Commissioners decides on zoning for land outside city and town limits.
In Unincorporated Yellowstone County
Local votes and rules
⚖️ Court case
Commissioners voted 3-0 to file a lawsuit asking a district court whether a new citizen ballot measure is valid. The measure would require two-thirds of voters to approve any data center before it starts or restarts, force the county to pause the Broadview-area project with interim zoning, and release county emails with the data center industry. Organizers aim for the spring 2027 ballot.
📌 Other
Commissioners sent a letter asking local state lawmakers to change the 2025 Right to Compute Act in the 2027 session. They want it to say clearly that counties and cities can still control where data centers go and how they run, through zoning, permits and health and safety rules. They said the law limits what the county can do now.
📌 Other
Residents asked commissioners to use emergency (interim) zoning to pause the Broadview-area data center for a year. The county attorney said the 2025 Right to Compute Act makes this very hard and that the developer would likely sue. The commission was not expected to act on the request.
⚖️ Court case
Commissioners voted unanimously to ask a district court whether a citizen ballot measure was legal. The measure would have required two-thirds of registered voters to approve any new data center in the county. The county also said a new state law moved the signature deadline earlier. In August a judge sided with the county, and the measure did not go on the November ballot.
✋ Turned down
The county turned down a residents' petition to create a special zoning district near Broadview, where a large data center is planned. The county said the petition did not include enough draft rules and supporting papers.
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Unincorporated Yellowstone County. - Go to county meetings.
Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing. - Ask questions in writing.
Use our checklist.
🔔 Get told first
⚡ Your electric company
Depending on where you live in Unincorporated Yellowstone County: Wapa-- Western Area Power Administration (public) or Yellowstone Valley Electric Co.-op (co-op (owned by its members)) or Fergus Electric Co-op, Inc. (co-op (owned by its members)) or Northwestern Energy LLC (company).
Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in Montana.
🙋 Open tasks here
- Where will the cooling water come from, and how much will it use per day?
- Will the backup power be a natural gas plant, and has the state air quality office (DEQ) received a permit application?
- Who will be the tenant of the data center?
- How many permanent jobs will it create?