Atlas Power data center, Butte
Atlas Power runs a large computer center in Butte. It has mostly mined cryptocurrency and also rents space for computers. NorthWestern Energy plans to sell it 75 MW of power from 2026, and maybe twice that later.
Where things stand: Running. NorthWestern plans to supply 75 MW starting in 2026, with up to 75 MW more later.
🕒 Latest update (Dec 19, 2024): NorthWestern announced it will supply 75 MW to Atlas from 2026, with up to 75 MW more in the next 3 to 5 years.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFormer Mike Mansfield Advanced Technology Center, south of Butte, Butte-Silver Bow, Silver Bow County
- 🏢 CompanyAtlas Power Group
- 👤 Built forAtlas Power (crypto mining and computer hosting)
- ⚡ Power it needs150 megawatts (about as much as 120,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromNorthWestern Energy grid. Atlas has been a NorthWestern customer since 2019.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much power is Atlas using today, and has the 2026 expansion started? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water does the site use? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Dec 19, 2024NorthWestern announced it will supply 75 MW to Atlas from 2026, with up to 75 MW more in the next 3 to 5 years.
Local votes and rules
🗳️ Public vote
A citizen group gathered signatures for a ballot measure that would require a vote of the people before any data center is built or expanded in Butte-Silver Bow. The county moved the signature deadline earlier, and a local judge sided with the county on Aug. 28. The Montana Supreme Court first put it on the November 2026 ballot, then reversed itself on Sept. 24 because ballots were already printed and mailed. It will not be on the November ballot.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
Commissioners voted 11-0 to have the county attorney write a temporary pause on new data centers. As discussed, it would last six months, with at most two one-year extensions, and then the council would have to pass rules. As of early October 2026 we found no final vote.
✅ Approved
Butte-Silver Bow commissioners approved selling about 600 acres of county land in the Montana Connections business park to Sabey Data Centers for a big data center. The county gets over $1 million and can take the land back if the plan falls through. In 2026 another company (REC Silicon) used its right to buy the land first, and Sabey ended the deal.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- NorthWestern Energy to supply power for Butte, Montana data center (Atlas Power Group) · NorthWestern Energy · Dec 19, 2024
- Montanans push back on NorthWestern Energy's power plan · The Pulp · 2026
- NorthWestern Energy inks power agreement with an AI data center planned for Yellowstone County · Montana Free Press · July 31, 2025
- Montana Data Centers and Water (presentation) · Montana Chamber of Commerce · April 16, 2026
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